When Fire and Ice Collide
by kage1586
Summary: When a curious ice apparition named Yuki comes along and wants to know everything about Hiei's past to answer her own questions, what will his reaction be? Will he tell her? Will his fiery temper freeze with her purity? FIND OUT! REVIEWS PLEASE
1. A Little Curious SnowFlake

I do not own YYH…this is not a sequel to A rose for Kitzuu but Kitzuu is in here…Kage is not with Hiei…and Yukina does not know that Hiei is her brother! *cries* Onward!

Tashou Chin Yuki Hakuhen

A little curious snowflake

Ch. 1 the search

She looked over the cliff… 'this is where that boy was thrown…so long ago.' she thought as she peered down to the world below. All she saw was fog but somehow, she knew he was alive.

She didn't know why she was so intrigued by the boy, she just was…she wanted to know why he had been thrown off the cliff…why was he an outcast?

Why did no one want to talk of him…was he really that bad? He was just a baby! He didn't know what to do…but…somehow there was a reason to call him the 'forbidden one.' She never understood that about her kind. How could they be so cruel to a child? Why were they so quick on throwing him away like a discarded item?

She wanted to scream and holler at everyone who said he was a no good piece of shit. She wanted to hurt everyone that thought of him as nothing. But that wasn't her at all…not at all…

She heard a demon call her and she turned around. A cold gust of wind from Koorime's air blew and she lost her footing and fell off the cliff. She turned as she fell and all she saw was fog and then trees! She fell through the branches and to the ground.

She let out a yelp of pain as she crashed to the dirt. A demoness stood above her and tilted her head as she knelt down, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…really…" 

"Hey…it's ok, I'm Chi-Kitzuu. I was just going back to the human world, where'd you come from?" the demoness, Kitzuu asked.

"I came from Koorime." she pointed up and frowned, "I was thinking and I fell…kind of clumsy, huh?"

"Yea…" Kitzuu grinned, "But that's what happens when you think too much. You lose your balance."

The girl liked Kitzuu's sense of humor, "I'm Yuki Hakuhen." she said.

"Oh…that's a pretty name." 

"Thank you." she said quietly and then just blurted, "Could you help me find someone?!"

Kitzuu jumped a bit at the question, "Sure I guess…who are you looking for?"

"I'm not sure of his name…"

"Ok…you aren't sure of his name but you want to find him? What is this, charades?"

"No…I just…look, he was thrown off Koorime years ago and then he disappeared…"

"WHOA! HOLD ON!" Kitzuu paused her in mid-sentence, "Are you talking about Hiei?"

"Hiei? I'm not sure…all they ever called him was 'the forbidden on.' It just didn't suit me at all…"

"I can ask Kurama…" Kitzuu thought and then grinned, "I'm almost positive it's Hiei…but hey, if it isn't, we'll come back with the gang and we'll look for that guy, okay?"

"Come back from where…and what gang?" Yuki didn't know what to do.

"I'm going back to the human world, remember? Besides, that's where Hiei's at now and so it Kurama. If that's not the guy then I'll bring you back with my friends and we'll look around for clues and we'll find him here…he is alive right?"

"I'm not sure…but I think so…"

"What do you mean you think so?"

"I just have a thing in my stomach that just tells me he is…"

"Oh, gut feeling. Alright, I trust that more than anything…that's why I'm with Kurama."

"You speak of Kurama a lot…"

"Oh, you may know him as Yohko Kurama."

"YOHKO!!!!!!!!!!" Yuki didn't mean to scream but she did.

Kitzuu grinned, "Many have that reaction when they hear that form…but he's not that bad…really…" Kitzuu assured and Yuki nodded cautiously.

"When are you going back?"

"As soon as he comes and escorts me…I'll tell him the situation…"

"I'll meet him! The legendary bandit!" Yuki couldn't restrain herself.

"Yea yea…but it's alright…he's not going to anything, I promise…" Kitzuu grinned.

"This may sound rude, but why should I trust you?"

"Oh…it's ok." Kitzuu said and smiled, "But I wouldn't trust many here…I know of maybe five demons that I'd trust with my life still here…Jin…he's got this thing with wind…don't be too alarmed though, he's a jolly guy with a great heart and would do anything for ya. Shishiwakamaru…but he's kind of self centered…" Kitzuu grinned and went on, "Rinku…be careful, he's a kid and a joker at that like Suzuki…don't forget to call him beautiful, and Chuu…he's a big, powerful guy but has got a good heart." 

"So many…but yet…so few…" Yuki said and looked behind Kitzuu and gasped, "Who's that?" she pointed and Kitzuu turned and grinned.

"That's actually one of them now…that's Jin, the wind master…don't mess with him, his fists carry the wind in tornadoes that would blow you away." 

"Oh…"

"Pleasant seeing ya here, Lassie." Jin grinned and nodded to Yuki.

"I beg your pardon?" Yuki asked and Kitzuu looked just as confused.

"Are you not the ice apparition from way back when I took a trip to Koorime? Very cold place, there…but you seem familiar. You remind me of that lil' lass that was asking about a boy…"

"Oh, yes…that was me…you!" Yuki exclaimed and grinned, "I remember now! You twirled me in that tornado thing when I was younger!" she beamed, "That was fun."

"I would do it now but it seems that I must be on my way…going to create more havoc." he grinned and bowed, flying away.

"I didn't know you knew Jin!" Kitzuu grinned.

"I didn't either until he refreshed my memory." she grinned, "He's very nice. He always was." 

"Yes…a bit egotistical at times but he knows that a fight should be fair." she grinned and then looked past Yuki and glared. "Stay back…" she warned and Yuki nodded and looked at a demon approaching them.

"Leave them alone!" a voice booming throughout the forest scarred the demon away and the two demonesses looked at the form approaching. Kitzuu got up and ran to it and hugged him. It was clear to Yuki that he was Yohko Kurama, the one that Kitzuu talked so much about.

"Oh, Kurama! This is Yuki…do you think we can take her along with us? She's looking for someone…I think Hiei…from her childhood memory…he was thrown off Koorime, correct?"

Kurama nodded and summoned Yuki over and she got up and bowed to him, "Hmm…I suppose." he smirked and they all went back to the human world while Koenma kept the barrier up.

As soon as they were out, Kitzuu changed into a teenage girl with brown hair and blue eyes while Yohko Kurama changed to red hair and green eyes. Yuki didn't change. She looked human enough anyway with her ice blue hair and the same color eyes. She looked around and her eyes grew big at the sight of the two demons she came with. 

"You don't look anything like you did in Makai…" she said and they grinned. She also realized that Kurama didn't look so cutthroat like everyone said he was. 

"Don't let that fool you…" Yuki turned to see a boy about an inch taller than her with black hair and cold brown eyes, "They only change on the outside…has nothing to do with the inside." he glared and walked off.

"Who's…"

"That's Hiei." Kitzuu pointed out and Yuki's question was answered. It was him…he had the features of the same demon she saw being thrown off…she found him…in the human world…

A small girl, about her height walked up and smiled. "Hello." the girl had soft brown eyes and light mint green hair.

"Hello." Yuki bowed and they looked at each other and quirked there heads to the side. 

Neither knew that Hiei was doing the same thing from a tree.

"I am Yukina."

"I'm Yuki." 

They both smiled sweetly and talked a while. They realized they had A LOT in common. They were both from Koorime and ice apparitions. They were both born on the same day and knew of the boy that was thrown off the cliff. 

Yuki learned that the boy was Yukina's brother but didn't say who it was when she got a signal from Kurama. She just shrugged and said that she just remembered it.

********

Later that Night…

********

Yuki decided to stay up a little later and sat on the grass, looking out at the sky. She heard footsteps and looked over to see Hiei walking out. "What are you doing out here?" he growled.

"I thought I would come see the stars…" she said quietly. "They are so much different here in the human world…" she smiled sweetly.

'She reminds me of Yukina.' he thought and shook his head, "Hn." 

"You are the one, am I correct?"

"What are you muttering?" he asked, a bit agitated.

"The one that was thrown from Koorime…the one that no one wants to talk of…the one I was looking for?" she asked.

'She definitely sounds like Yukina…so innocent and WHAT!' his mouth moved with his thoughts, "WHAT!?!" he saw her jump in fear and cursed, "Why are you looking for me?" he asked and she smiled slightly.

"I don't know myself. It just had a fascination with the little boy that was thrown and why no one would talk of him…" she looked down, "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to bring that up so soon…I wanted to get to know you first then ask but…"

"Save your breath, girl." he growled, "I will not talk about that." and with that he walked off.

She looked down and a tear fell and a gem dropped. She didn't bother to pick it up before she walked inside, 'what have I done…now I'll never know…I've been wasting my time looking for him…' she crawled in her bed that the gang had made and drifted to sleep.

Hiei came back out of the tree and picked up the gem and examined it, 'I've made another cry…' he kicked himself mentally and jumped on her windowsill and watched the moonbeams illuminate her face.

He just couldn't do it…he couldn't tell her the reason that he was thrown…she was too frail…too weak, it would be like telling a child that the parent isn't coming back. They wouldn't understand then…he didn't…not until he realized that it was a joke for him to keep the thought alive.

He'd never rely on anyone again…he wasn't going to let some curious little snowflake come and make his life worse…it wasn't possible…

He would just continue to protect his sister…at any cost.

**********

End of Ch. 1...what did you think? REVIEWS PLEASE!

kage1586


	2. To be Free

I DO NOT OWN YYH, I DO OWN YUKI. HER FULL NAME MEANS SNOW-FLAKE. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR REVIEWS. I WILL CHANGE HIEI'S AND YUKINA'S EYE COLORS FROM NOW ON…ARIGATO!

When Fire and Ice Collide

Ch. 2 To be Free…

Yuki woke up in the middle of the night to the crackling of thunder. She looked out the window and saw a gray mist of fog and clouds had covered the picture perfect starlit sky. She sighed, 'Rain can be beautiful as well…' she was interrupted as her thoughts were cut off by a shadow appearing in her window. It was…him!

"Oh my!" she exclaimed and then her hands shot to her mouth, "I'm sorry, that was rude." she bowed politely.

He knew the fear in her eyes. He's seen it many times in others. He knew what others thought of him as. He knew they were afraid of him. He knew everything…but why does she want to know about something that he tried to forget?

She looked up and a strike of lightning lit up the window behind him as he was standing there, looking at her. She could see the light illuminate his features and his RED eyes peering down at her. She fidgeted under his watchful eyes. She didn't know how to respond, so she stuck her chin up defiantly and smiled some, "Have you decided to stay in for the night?" she asked in a low voice.

He would've fallen over had he not been holding on to the windowsill. That's not the response he was waiting for. He was used to the 'Get out's and 'What are you doin' here!'s. He nodded a bit and she nodded back with a smile. 

He went to the corner and sat down, his head resting on the wall. She watched him and he opened his eyes to see her eyes glow. As if there were real ice gems in the pupils, they were brighter than he'd ever seen them before. Knowing her only a short time, he didn't pay attention to what she looked like. In his eyes, he knew that he could defeat an ice apparition and he'd have allies to help him if it got a little rough…but he'd never admit it.

He had come to trust his allies, even though he despised Kazuma Kuwabara, he could rely on him to keep his word. Kuwabara was not the type to go against his word and Hiei respected him for this. Yusuke Urameshi had shown his true power and ability to protect and defend what he believed in. Hiei saw this as a true cause, no matter how much he denied it. Kurama…yes, his old friend who had aided him in battle many times. His form of Yohko, who so many feared, had brought him into the clan of thieves and given him a place. Given him a family…

"Hiei?" she asked, a bit worried and he snapped back into reality, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, go to bed ice princess!" he sneered.

"I'm not an ice princess!" she yelled and then covered her mouth again, mumbling an apology. He closed his eyes, cursing to himself and then she laid down. He heard her whisper, "Aren't you afraid?"

"Of what?" he growled.

"Of anything…" she said, opening her eyes to see his shadowed figure. His eyes weren't open but she knew he could see her…somehow… "Everyone is afraid of something, are they not?" she asked.

His eyes glared bullets at her and she regretted her words…but just for a short time. "No. I'm not afraid. To be afraid would show I am weak." he closed his eyes again and shifted a bit, knowing her gaze was intent on him.

"No…" she whispered and closed her eyes right before he opened his. He heard something drop to the floor and saw her take a ragged breath. She whispered before dozing off, "To be afraid…is only to show you are strong…" 

He was sure of it now, the item that had dropped…he got up quietly as to not wake her up. He knelt down beside her and picked up the gem, his gaze shifting from it to her face. Her face was etched as though she was in some danger. Or had been…Hiei shrugged, it wasn't his concern but he was a tad bit curious still of why she wanted to know what he hid from himself over the years of his life.

He shook his head, pulled a blanket over her petite body, trying not to notice the curves that Curious had and went back to his corner, resting. 

*********

Morning

*********

Yuki woke up, the storm was gone. She smiled as she looked out the window and saw the damp grass with the flowers and trees. She put on her tiny shoes and walked out to the garden where she met with Kurama again. She bowed slightly, "Thank you for bringing me here, sir." she said politely and saw him nod.

"You may call me Kurama." he said calmly.

"Yes, thank you, Kurama. If you wish, you may call me Yuki." she smiled a bit and he nodded curtly.

"I will, thank you." he looked at the roses again that he had been looking at when she came up to him.

"Kurama?"

"Yes?" he looked at her and she sighed.

"What do you know of Hiei?" Kurama looked surprised at her words.

"Not much, as everyone else…why do you ask?" he said, standing up and towering over her.

"Well…I wanted to know why he was thrown off Koorime and why he choses not to talk about it…why was he considered the forbidden one? Why…"

"I cannot answer those questions. I wouldn't even if I had the answers." he said truthfully. After seeing her pained face, he went on, trying to explain, "It is not in my right place to do so." 

"I understand." she bowed and headed towards a stream and sat down on a rock and sighed. 

"Why are you so interested in my life? Don't you have one of your own!" she jumped at the boom of Hiei's voice. She looked up. If she wasn't interested in his life, by Golly, she would be interested now!

He had this way of enticing her to drive on to know more of him. To speak to him. To help him with anything he needed. To be there for him like she could've all those years. To encourage him to not give up. To do these things and so much more.

"I just wanted to know. It has been bugging me since I can remember." she paused at his shocked face.

"Why me? Why not Yukina or-" he was cut short by her shaking her head. 

"No…Yukina was there for a short time…but you were gone before I knew your name…it had always irritated me how the people…never mind, that doesn't matter." 

"I know what they say. It does not concern me." he shocked her but didn't know it. 

"Why won't you talk about your life?"

"WHY SHOULD I!?!" he growled and had made her jump.

"I just wanted to know." she said, slightly irritated.

"You don't need to know." he growled and stormed off.

"You'll protect her forever, won't you?" Hiei stopped and turned to see her sincere face. "You love her very much, I can see it in your eyes." she said in a voice so low, he almost didn't hear it. "She's lucky to have you, Hiei." she bowed and started walking off. 

In a flash, he was at her side. She let out a small squeak and placed her hand over her chest. "Please don't do that." she bowed and moved around him. He stopped her with his hand over her wrist.

"I do love her…but I am very lucky to have her…" he said and as fast as he got to her, he disappeared just as quickly.

She shook her head and walked into the temple to find Yukina and Kuwabara sitting down and talking. She smiled and bowed.

"Yuki…this is Kazuma." Yukina smiled sweetly and pointed to the tall, orange/red haired boy with a big happy grin on his face.

"Pleased to meet you." Yuki smiled at him and he grinned.

"Any friend of Yukina's is a friend of mine! But I just don't like that short guy!"

"What short guy?" Yuki asked, questionably.

"That shrimp, Hiei! Maybe you haven't met him yet but he's a pipsqueak! I'll squash him one of these-"

"Kazuma, please…don't talk so ill of Hiei…" Yukina said sadly, "He's very nice, really he is…"

Yuki smiled. Just like Yuki, Yukina always saw the good side and wouldn't believe anyone's theory if it was not her own as well. She was not easily driven into traps or anything without thinking it through. They both may have been a bit naïve at times, but they knew what was right in their hearts and stood by their friends no matter how great the circumstances may be.

"If you say so Yukina." Kazuma smiled a big grin and Yuki almost couldn't contain the giggle. He loved her and it was clear to probably everyone else but Yukina.

"Thank you Kazuma." Yukina smiled and looked up to Yuki.

"Are you alright?" Yukina asked Yuki with a worried look.

"I'm fine." Yuki said softly and pointed to the floor, "Do you think I can join your conversation for a little while?" 

"Of course," Yukina smiled, "We would love the company."

"Yeah!" Kazuma grinned.

Yukina asked, "Yuki….how is Koorime? Is it the same as when I left?"

"Yes…still hypocrites and others that don't know where they stand. They others hold their tongues. It's all a matter of time before another ice-storm arises." Yuki rolled her eyes.

This year was the worst she had seen of ice storms on Koorime. The winds blew so heavily that she remembered it blowing her off the cliff. The winds and snow and ice and sleet had all ganged up that year. She had no idea that Koorime could be so fierce. And yet here, it seemed as though it was spring. She wondered about that. 

"What month is it here?" Yuki asked, since she had been studying the human world bits and pieces at a time, she knew the months and what the temperature would be like. She had no idea that it would be cool.

"It is March." Yukina smiled and Yuki nodded. That's why it was in bloom but yet a bit of chill still loomed in the air from the winter months.

"Ah, a beautiful month…as so I've heard." Yuki looked at Kazuma and Yukina and they both smiled.

"I thought of it in the same way." Yukina nodded and they sat and talked about odd things. Yukina told Yuki how she went to find her brother, but had no luck. She also told of how Kazuma was to help her in her travels to find him.

Yuki told Yukina that she had met a guy in Koorime. The male was sweet and kind but she knew better. He was not so nice when he wanted his way. Yuki told them how he had hit her and she ran to the cliff, thinking about the little boy, Yukina's brother, Hiei, but she didn't tell the name. Yukina would be devastated if he was so close and never told her.

Then Kazuma told them of his fights and his loyalty to his friends. He told them of when he had not fought back for one week and even scored a 53 on his Biology test. The two ice maidens giggled and smiled as they knew he exaggerated the story by 10. But both knew, that he was a very trustworthy soul and loved to have company.

Yuki asked Yukina if she ever thought of going back to Koorime. Yukina said she had, but never really got around to it. She wanted to find her brother, to bring him back with her and prove that he was just as kind-hearted as the others. No matter how many ice apparitions told them that he would have never amounted to anything, they kept their hearts alive. They shared laughs, tears and the in-betweens for Hiei. Yukina didn't know his name and nor did Yuki at the time, but they were friends…and somehow, someway, all 3 of them were connected at heart. 

They giggled as Kazuma's hopes died of Yukina and him together. Yuki smiled and said, "We can make room for you too in our heart, Kazuma. Two cannot take up the heart." she smiled and then Kazuma looked at Yukina who nodded, agreeing with her fellow ice maiden. He was once again overjoyed and they joined hands and hearts and smiled. 

But Yuki's heart was not in the hands or her smile…it wasn't even in her heart. She missed Hiei…she didn't know why. He was just…different from anyone she had ever met. He was rough on the edges and a skilled swordsman is what she heard as well as a speedy runner. 

She grinned at the thought of the ice apparitions' faces if they could see him now. They would be horrified that he survived. She smiled as she thought about how he really was. 

Sure, he was cruel and irritating and stubborn, but he had a good heart. She didn't need to know him to know that. All she knew is that, deep in her heart, he fit perfectly. 

She thought and gasped, smiled and nodded to Yukina and Kazuma, "I will be back…thank you…" Yuki ran out the door and towards the stream again. She looked around and saw a shadow on a branch of the tree. She grinned.

She walked up and threw a shoe at the resting shadow. His hand instinctively reached out to catch it as he looked at her, annoyance written all over his face.

"What now!?" he growled and dropped the show at her feet. She picked it up and put it back on and looked up at him. 

"You should come join us, Hiei!" she smiled sweetly and he lifted a brow.

"To do what?" he wasn't at all convinced.

"We are talking and having fun-" she didn't get to answer her question, he was racing into the forest at a little faster than a humans speed, but this smart little maiden knew he could top that…

She ran after him and came up just a bit of distance behind him and he stopped abruptly. She didn't have the agility to move, nor did she had the strength to stop. She crashed right into him, making them both tumble to the ground.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the unusual position they were in, he gulped as he saw his hands under her head, protecting it from the fall. his body propped up on his elbows and one leg resting between hers. 

She began to sweat. 'this is not happening…all I wanted was him to have a little fun…' she thought her heart would pound out of it's chest.

"Hn." Hiei growled and got off her, letting her head hit the ground with a thud.

She winced and sat up, "Sorry…"

"What am I? Your servant!" he growled and she jumped back a bit. "I am not coming to a happy thing so you can ask me about my life! You will not hear my life, ever! Drop it girl unless you want to lose your life!" 

She gasped and turned, running deeper into the forest. She didn't know where to go, what dangers awaited her there, she just knew, she had to get away from him. She didn't care anymore about his past.

She didn't want anything to do with it, nor his future. She knew it was all a lie she had been living. The thought of them even together as friends was impossible. He was cruel and she was kind, he was evil and she was pure bliss, alas…she figured it out, that was when the fire and ice collide…

It was in her destiny. She didn't want to believe it. She had heard that they would get along far better. She would tame the heat with her coolness. She would be his savior but…then she chose to go against her destiny.

That's when she figured out…she wasn't alone. There was someone watching her. She turned around and it wasn't Hiei…

She screamed his name…

************

Reviews Please

kage1586


	3. Fear and Feelings Hidden

I DO NOT OWN YYH, I DO OWN YUKI. HER FULL NAME MEANS SNOW-FLAKE. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR REVIEWS…ARIGATO!

When Fire and Ice Collide

Ch. 2 Fear

Yuki screamed out in fear as the tall demon approached her. His fangs sharp and stained with blood. His claws wanting more, flexing as those cold black beady eyes stared at her. "What a fine pet…" he growled and smirked seductively. She was so scared. He stood at least 10 feet high with hair covering him. He looked like a wolf, to be blunt…a werewolf. 

She edged back against a tree and let out a terrified yip as he took her by the arm and brought her closer. She waited for him to do as he would, didn't know what was going to happen but was too afraid to keep her eyes open. She squeezed them shut and waited for the worst.

Something splattered on her and she peeked out of her lowered lids to see a shadow move so fast, she wouldn't have known who it was unless she knew him…Hiei.

After he landed and the demon literally fell into little chunks, she fell to the ground and shook. He looked over to her and was shocked, why she was trembling, he didn't know. Maybe it was him…it always had been to everyone else. But somehow, she was different. He slowly sheathed his sword and knelt by her, with a TEENY TINY hint of concern that she didn't notice. 

He noticed a tear slide from her eye and fall in front of him with a tiny sound. He picked the gem up and she stared at the ground, not wanting to see anyone's face. She was so ashamed. She didn't want to feel weak, but she couldn't deny the fact that she was. She never fought in a fight and never thought of even killing another. She believed that no one had the right to take another's life but who was she kidding? She couldn't stop the fact that some beings had to die for their causes of pain and anguish. She gasped in her thoughts, 'Have I really become that cruel? I never thought of anything so…terrible…' another tear slid and Hiei caught it, tucking it into his cloak. 

'This makes 4 that she's cried since she was here…is she really so sad?' his mind raced, 'Maybe she wants to go home…' he growled at the thought of 'home.' Koorime was not his home, he wouldn't go back again. Not after the fear he had seen in Rui's eyes. She tried to hide it, but like everything, Hiei 'saw' it. He didn't need to have her edge away, his Jagan Eye had shown him everything.

He looked at the ice maiden again and tried to figure out what he could do to help. 'Why should I help her?' he growled at his thoughts. 'Because, you've got no reason not to…' his conscious answered. 'So what?! It never stopped me before!' He almost got into a death match with his wit, and dare he say heart? 'Ah, but it is now. She came all this way just to find YOU.' the nice part of his mind said, 'she is too curious for her own good!' His nice conscious shut up. But somehow, deep down, he knew it was all a lie. How had he treated her so badly? Why was she still willing to at least be his friend? What is motivating her to do so?

"Thank…thank you." she whispered and he looked at her once more after his mere fight with his mind. He saw the blood splatters on her cream kimono. He smirked.

"I admit I went a little overboard…" he said, nodding to the stains. She looked at him with a strange look.

'why is he so nice now?' she wouldn't ask that. This was the first time they had actually been civil…well, she always was…mostly, but he never took the time to even glance at her. It hurt…more than not knowing him at all. 

"It's alright." she mumbled and stood up, him rising with her, "You saved my life and probably a lot of pain that I'd have to go through." she replied innocently and looked at his cold emotionless red eyes. "I am forever in your debt." she curtly bowed and headed towards the river to try and wash out the stains. 

He hit himself in the head, muttering, "Why does this always happen to me?" he thought for a moment, 'is there a stamp on my bandanna that says, 'ice maidens, I'll help if your in trouble'?' he almost laughed at the thought, keeping an eye on her and undoing his bandanna to check. He didn't see the letters unless they were invisible. He started to put the bandanna back on and spotted her sitting down, with her legs in the cool water.

She looked over and quirked her head to the side, 'what is he doing? I've never seen him without that bandanna…' he had it over his forehead before she could see the eye. 

He figured she'd be more frightened of him had she seen it. It wasn't everyday that someone had a Jagan Eye implanted in their forehead. He didn't want to explain that he got it to find his sister. He walked over and stood about 10 feet away from her. 

"Why have you stopped washing your kimono?" he snarled.

"It's blood…it will smear and you have to wash it out a lot. I will just say that I was attacked and I ran." she shrugged and looked back at the water.

"But where would you have gotten the blood?" he lifted a brow and saw her shrug and shake her head. Her ice blue hair swaying as it blew in a calm breeze.

"I hadn't thought about that." she said innocently.

He rolled his eyes and thought, 'naïve.' He didn't want to do it but he supposed he had no choice. He undid his cloak, walked up silently and placed it on her shoulders. 

She shrunk down by his touch. She looked up at him then the cloak. And for a moment, he thought she might cry again. He didn't know why, she just had that look over her and her eyes were misty. Then, despite what he may have been thinking, she smiled.

"Thank you Hiei. But you didn't have to…" she was cut short by him turning and walking off.

"I know." he sneered and summoned her with his hand, "Coming or staying?" he growled and she got up quickly, pulling the cloak more over her and walked with him. 

"Hiei…" she began and got a hard glare from him, "Never mind…"

"Hn." he muttered. 'What was she going to ask?' he forgot how sensitive she was. Almost like his sister, he tried to be patient, but sometimes it was unbearable. And yet, he liked her innocent posture. The way she always saw the good things. Such an optimistic girl that it almost made him want to be less of a pessimist. _Almost. _He looked out at the temple and glared. Of course Kurama would be there with Kitzuu in the garden. It didn't surprise him. Maybe they wouldn't notice-

"Yuki!?!" Kitzuu ran over to Yuki and gasped, "What are you doing in Hiei's cloak!"

"I…it's a long story-"

"It does not concern you." Hiei hissed and walked off.

"Touchy, isn't he." Kurama smirked at Yuki who looked at him strange. 'Naïve' Kurama thought to himself. 'Just like Yukina…young and happy, but terribly naïve.'

"I have to change, excuse me." Yuki mumbled and walked rather fast into the temple and her room where she changed into a light blue kimono. She glanced out the window to see Hiei sitting on a tree, looking away from her at the stars that began to appear as the sun set behind him. She went outside and looked up, looking around and started to climb the tree. She was determined to talk with him until the branch under her broke and she fell backwards.

A hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her up. She saw his muscles tense as he set her on branch and growled. She sat there a few moments before she recollected herself and handed him the cloak. 

"My apologies, Hiei." she mumbled and winced as he took the cloak away from her quickly. Before he put it on, she saw his taut muscles in his chest and abdomen. The way his muscles flexed when he knew she was watching her. She turned away, waiting for him to finish getting his cloak on. She cleared her throat and peeked at him. He was looking at the stars again. "I did not know you liked the stars, Hiei." she said softly and he tensed a bit.

"I don't." he bit.

"But…why are you looking out there?" she looked to see if there was any real reason and he growled.

"Because I feel like it." 

"Oh…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you angry." she bowed her head and stood up on the branch. His attention went straight to her.

"Are you mad?! What the hell are you doing!" he growled and stood up, the branch bending under his weight. He knew it would not hold for long.

"I'm going to try to get-" she didn't finish her sentence. He had grabbed her and jumped to a higher branch as the one broke like a twig. She gasped and watched it plummet to the ground, noticing that he had protected her again. She sat up and sighed, "It seems I am causing you nothing but trouble." she admitted and got up again. 

His hands, still wrapped around her, help her still. "What do you think you are doing!"

"I'm trying to get down…" she said quietly enough to send a tremor through him.

"You couldn't climb up, what makes you think you could climb down!" he let her go, she wobbled a bit and held onto the branch for support. 

"I tried to get up here but that branch broke and…"

"You don't know how to test a branch's strength, let alone climb a tree!" he grunted and crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry, but on Koorime, there really aren't trees to climb…just mountains. I climbed this mountain before and I thought it was a tad difficult but how hard could a tree be?"

"A lot harder than you think, Curious!" he growled and she squinted at the name.

"I'm sorry that you feel that I am weak. I assure you, I try my hardest not to be." she stiffened her chin and met his gaze head-on.

'She may be naïve, but she's rebellious…' he smirked at it. The night sky turning to a dark blue, she lit up a bit around her eyes again. He saw the mist in them glowing in an ice-blue color. Her pupils growing larger with the loss of light. She looked like a rare treasure and that she was…but he didn't want to admit it.

He was Hiei! Strong, rebellious, able-to-take-care-of-himself-since-day-one-Hiei! He didn't need someone to tell him that he should be careful. He didn't want someone in his life. But he did want a true friend. But he couldn't soil her sweet pureness with his hate. He shooed the thought quickly away.

She watched his red eyes glow a bit, she knew he was watching her, intent on figuring out what she was up to. She wanted to tell him that it would be alright. She wanted to comfort him and say that she's there. But she knew him too well. She may have only met him yesterday, but she KNEW that he was not the type to want sympathy.

He was prideful, a bit egotistical, and definitely arrogant! But deep inside, he was like her. He was sensitive of things. Not many, but he didn't want to discuss his fears. His childhood memories. He was much like her. But her reason for not discussing her memories and childhood with ANYONE else was completely different than his. She didn't want to remember the beatings and the males that thought she was a 'rare jewel' the same as her tears. She looked at him with a sad face.

He didn't like that look. A look of despair. Of hurt. Of loneliness. He knew those emotions first hand. He didn't like them and he didn't want to see it scar her beauty. He didn't want her to hurt. She reminded him too much of Yukina. He didn't want to see it on her, and he didn't want to see it on Yukina. 

He didn't admit to having feelings for Yuki. He wasn't about to admit it either. But he knew somehow, in some odd way, he wanted to protect her. Just like he had Yukina. He smirked as she got a bit closer to examine his features. 

She didn't like his looks he was giving her. Hate, strangeness and could it be…? She didn't think he would even get close to her at all. Let alone, his features said that it was totally different.

She was more afraid of falling for him than the demon earlier, or the fall of the branch. She was falling…fast and she knew after it was all said and done, she'd be left hurt. She would cry until she had no more tears. She was terrified of the fact that she could love and the one she did love would not love her back. 

She was scared of what had happened to him. He was abandoned as a child. Would he do the same to her? If they got that close, would he discard her as he was? She didn't want to believe it, but she had no way of being sure. 

She finally decided, that she would look after him. She would try to unravel the secrets buried beneath his skin. Under his past. Under his hard face and glaring eyes, she knew there was a Hiei no one else knew. She wanted to be the one he opened to, but would he? She sighed and sat back again. She thought for a moment, could he be as mean and cruel as everyone says he is. Then, a most surprising question blurted from her mouth.

"Why do they call you the forbidden one?!" she gasped and pulled her hands to her mouth as she saw the hurt in his eyes. There wasn't much, but she knew his eyes would hold as much back as he could. "I'm sorry…I don't know what came over me…" she bowed her head and looked at the stars, the ground, the tree, anywhere but him.

'Where had that come in?' he was shocked that she had the nerve to ask him that, and a bit…relieved. She wouldn't back down from a challenge, and for some odd reason, the challenge was to know HIM!

He shook his head and looked to the stars.

"They look so far away…" she broke the long, awkward silence that drifted between them. 

He stared at them, not daring to look at her. He was afraid, he was actually afraid to see her. "Hn." he muttered.

"It seems as though it would take a lifetime to get to something so beautiful…" she muttered unconsciously.

He turned to face her and her eyes were twinkling as she looked on at the stars. "Hn…" he shook his head and looked back up to the stars in silence. 

"Hiei…" she said and he tensed.

'Not another question…' he pleaded and then replied, "What?" he said a bit too irritated to his liking, but it was his usual response.

"Why do you sleep on a tree?" she asked and smiled a bit at him.

He looked at her and looked shocked. "Because I do." he said affirmatively.

"Oh…I was just wondering." she looked up at the stars, breaking their eye contact again.

"Why?" he asked with a smirk.

"I don't know…I was just asking." she shrugged, it was clear she was getting tired and she didn't want Hiei to know. He noticed and grumbled.

'This night had to be ruined by her sleeping habits…' he got up, picked her up in his arms and jumped to the ground as she yipped and clung to his neck, burying her face in it as well. 

He gave off a slight groan as he set her down in her room and watched her lie down. She looked up at him with sleepy eyes, "Hiei…" she whispered and it sent shivers up his spine.

"Are you expecting me to read you a bedtime story, Curious?" he jested.

"No…" she said and laid her head down, "I was just going to say that if you want, you can sleep here too. That branch seemed very uncomfortable." she drifted to sleep with those words and he hardened.

He couldn't do that. He couldn't lay in the same bed with her and not 'react' to her touch. Whether it was her hands or a strand of her hair, he would 'react' the same way. He groaned again and jumped out the window and up in his tree. 

He stayed awake and looked at the stars again, 'they look so far…away.' he fell asleep with that thought that she had earlier said and the night went by slowly. The wolves howling a bit and the breeze blowing as Yuki woke up and was saddened that Hiei slept out there again. She looked up and saw him sleeping. She got the nerve to bring a blanket out there with her and climb that blasted tree again! She climbed without much trouble besides the fact that a squirrel all but attacked her! She laid the cover on his and he shifted a bit and she almost fell. 

She got down and into her window again and laid down, drifting to sleep again until the morning dew moistened the air. Hiei woke up to the sunrise and looked down as he saw a blanket over him. He sighed and looked down at her room. The rays of the sun just began to hit her face as he jumped down and laid the blanket on the window sill and walked off somewhere in the woods as she slept peacefully.

************

Reviews Please

kage1586


	4. A Bit Odd

****

I do not own YYH, I do own Yuki. You cannot sue me because I'm just that good! Just kidding…read on please. Thank you all for your reviews!

When Fire and Ice Collide

Ch. 4 Odd Day…why?

Yuki woke up and grumbled as she rubbed her mussed hair. She looked around and saw no one at all. She got up and remembered a weird demon that appeared to her in her dream. They said that she would have an odd sense of humor and she would not be herself. 

She shook her head at the thought of it. She brushed her hair back and walked outside to the little pond and looked at her reflection. She gasped as she saw Hiei's in the water and looked all around and didn't see him anywhere. 

"Hn." she heard his voice and looked up to see him looking down from the tree branch with a rough glare as he always had. He smirked as she grumbled and splashed the water.

His reflection rippled and he jumped down to meet her. She let out a yip as he glared at her. "You are not yourself." he spat.

"What the heck are you talking about!?" she let out a yell and then lifted her brow. 'Could the dream be a premonition?' she asked herself.

"Hn." Hiei was shocked at her outburst but didn't show it. He just looked at her oddly.

"I won't apologize for something I can't control!" she said as she saw his look that he gave her.

He smirked at her rebellion, 'she is definitely not herself…wonder why?' he shook his head and lifted his brow. "Tell me, Curious…" he paused.

"What?" she asked with a bit of a glare.

"Why are you so upset?" he asked coldly as though his voice was nothing but ice.

"I am not upset." she glared and looked away in an instant.

"Right. You are a terrible liar, Curious."

"How dare you! I am not lying! I just do not feel as though I am lying!"

"I never said that you had to feel that way, Curious."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT RIDICULOUS NAME!" she shouted and walked towards the forest, leaving a dazed Hiei behind. He lifted a brow as Kurama came up and smirked.

"Seems you have less luck with girls all the time!" Kurama met the tree branch with his head and fell to the ground as Hiei growled and walked off.

"Stupid fox…" he muttered and followed after Yuki to make sure nothing happened to her.

She was sitting on a log in the middle of an opening, lost in thought. 'Could it be…I don't want that to be my destiny…fire and ice colliding? Who ever thought of something so ironic…surely it is not me at all. Could the dream have been true?'

****Remembering the dream:

A demon approached her as she sat patiently. His voice calm but a dangerous glint traced his eyes.

"You will be the one that tames the flame." he said.

"What do you mean? I cannot. He is a terrible ruthless demon that wants nothing to do with me…" she replied.

"You will learn the truth. Besides…you do not believe your own words, little ice gem." the demon said calmly and smirked.

"I do believe my own words. It cannot be me. He will not even think of me as anything but a troubled child!" she said.

"I did not mean that. You do not believe that he is a ruthless, terrible demon. You know those words are a lie."

"But…how would you know!?" she said, a bit flustered.

"I know because I know you. I am more of your shadowed past that will haunt you."

"What if I don't want my past to haunt me?" she retorted.

"Ah…my little 'rare gem' you have no choice. I will be here whether you like it or not." and with that, the demon vanished.

******end

She shot a glare into the forest, facing no one in particular. She didn't want her past to haunt her. What would she do? She had no way of knowing that the past was because of her weakness. But somehow, the way the demon had said it. She knew. The demon, she could not see it's face and she did not recognize the voice, but she knew it from somewhere.

Did she really want to remember it? Did she want to live her life in fear that that demon had found her? What would she do if that demon was the one she feared more than anything? What would she do, if he were right? What if she could tame the flame? Would she want to? She had no way of knowing any answers. She just knew that she wanted to leave her past behind.

Hiei saw her mixed expressions and wondered what was happening to the innocent face. The innocent girl was not herself. He was a bit concerned. He didn't know why. He just wanted to know why she was being different all of a sudden. Was it something he did? Was he to blame for yet another misfortune? He hoped not, but…it always boiled down to him. He was at fault for so much that he forgot how it was to be normal, if he was at all.

He caught a glimpse of her hair as it swayed deeper into the forest. Why was she so bold? Didn't she remember what happened last time? He followed at a safe distance, hoping she didn't realize it was him. He wanted her to do something that would coax his mind out of thinking it was his fault.

She stopped abruptly and an ice field surrounded her. He knew all about ice fields. Ice apparitions would do this when they felt threatened. He had felt it inside him every time Yukina had put hers up. He knew all about them. He wondered what she was being threatened for.

He soon found out. A demon was approaching. Fast. But why hadn't he picked up on the chi? Why was it so aware to her and not to him? He should've sensed the danger long before her. She was not the type to know what danger was like. Or was she? Was there a way she knew what danger was? Was there a way that she could sense something he couldn't? He approached silently behind her. He knew she felt his presence but did not lesson the field. 

Instead, she made it surround them both. An odd move. He didn't understand what was going on. Was she trying to protect him? He almost laughed at the thought. But somehow, he figured that she knew something he didn't.

"You…" she whispered harshly as the demon approached. A sly one that he was, he tapped the ice field and smirked as he saw it strengthen. 

"Ah…the rare gem remembers me…" he growled low and seductive. 

Hiei felt her tense at the name and clutched at his sword. He didn't understand why he was angry that the demon called her a 'rare gem' but he didn't like how he said it. It was taunting her, making her feel inferior. He growled but was stopped by her hand on his, stopping his sword. He glanced at her questionably.

"What do you want?" she hissed and that surprised Hiei even more. He didn't know she could be so cold. He knew that she was an ice apparition, but the way her voice was, it was more than living on ice.

"Ah…have you forgotten me? You must not have, little one. For you see, I have not forgotten you at all…" the demon licked his lips and then noticed Hiei. "You…you are the one that was thrown." his voice got colder than hers.

"Hn." Hiei glared harder at the demon and his hand encircled the sword more. "What is it to you!" he growled.

"Oh…I am correct. No wonder she is so enticed by finding you. You have been in her mind since she could remember. You have disgraced us ice apparitions and you have soiled her heart! You are nothing compared to me…" the demon growled back.

"Stop!" Yuki broke the fight and glared at the demon. "You have no idea what you are saying, Kokushibyou! You don't know him therefore you cannot judge him!" she yelled. 

Hiei looked at her in shock. 'she stood up for me?' he was so caught up in thought that when Kokushibyou spoke, he was caught off guard and held onto Yuki's shoulder. She didn't budge. 

"Ah…but that is what us ice apparitions do, do we not?" he smirked at Hiei, "They already judged him before knowing him. But that's alright. He is, as you well know, the 'forbidden one' and one day, 'rare gem' he will harm you. You as well as anyone, should know this." and with that Kokushibyou left.

Yuki, as soon as she knew he was really gone, lowered her shield and faced him, outraged, "You followed me!"

Hiei, who was still trying to get over the fact that she had stood up for him, was silent. 

"How dare you!" she said, eyes burning with a pure pale-iced glare. Her eyes seemed to have something else, as if concern was written in them.

"Hn." he said flatly and looked away, trying to escape her glare.

"Hiei! Why did you follow me!" she yelled and he looked back at her with a glare.

"Because I can." he bit off.

"But…that's not an answer! You had a reason! Why did you bother!" she said, trying to calm down.

"Because I did! I do not have to clarify my thoughts to the likes of you, 'rare gem!'" he regretted the words as she looked at him with much hurt in her eyes.

"How…could you…" she said and turned and left towards the temple.

'Why did I have to say that…I said it so harsh. All she was doing…' his thoughts drifted off as he remembered the look on her face when Kokushibyou had called her 'rare gem.' She had so much hurt covering her face and more hurt when he called her that. He needed to say something, it wasn't apologizing, was it?

He followed after her quickly and stopped in front of her. She let out a yelp as she almost crashed into him. "What do you want!" she growled, tears threatening to fall.

"Hn." he didn't know what to say, he couldn't just say, "oh please, forgive me…I didn't mean to upset you!" he rolled his eyes as he beat that thought out of his head. 

"If that's all you needed to say, you could've said it to yourself!" she growled and tried to push past him. He grabbed her arms and made her face him. His eyes burning holes into hers. "Let me go!" she yelled and he glared more.

"Why does that name bother you so much!" he yelled.

She stilled from her trying-to-get-out-of-his-grasp-struggling and looked at him, stunned. 'I can't tell him…he wouldn't understand…' she looked away.

He brought his hand to cup her chin and make her look at him, "Tell me!" he growled, trying to fight the urge of going off.

"No!" she struggled in his grasp more and he tightened it. "What are you doing! Stop it! Let me go!" she cried as a tear gem fell to the ground.

That made him stop. He let go abruptly, trying not to make her cry. 

"I didn't mean that…" he stopped, realizing what he was about to do. He was about to apologize…he…HIEI! Hiei apologized to no one…

She knew he was about to apologize. She didn't want him to. He didn't do anything wrong. If scaring her was a wrong, then yes. But he was only curious, as she was, wanting to know all about his past. She finally understood why he felt the way he did when she asked him about it. She had made him inferior to her.

She looked at him and attempted to smile, "It's alright. I understand now why you don't like me." he looked at her, stunned.

'What does she mean, I don't like her? Is she mad!? Insane! She must be…I can't not like her! I just…want to protect…her?' he thought.

"I pry too much into your life and you've told me over and over that you wish not to speak of it." she bowed, "My apologies." she walked past him, but didn't get too far, his hand grasped hers and she looked up, stunned.

"No…it's not that I don't like you…you are just too…curious, Curious." he smirked and let go of her hand as though it burned. 

"That makes sense." she said, not really knowing what it meant. She walked back to the temple and looked at the scary stuff that Keiko was trying to make. She quickly took the pan and dumped it out. "Please…I must say…no one will eat that. I will show you what to do." she said unconsciously. 

"Thank you…" Keiko replied, "I'm sorry…that must have been an odd looking curry." she smiled 

"Curry? That's what it was?" Yuki joked and made it, telling Keiko exactly what steps to take and then noticed that Keiko was clumsy at taking things to the table. She took the food away from Keiko and set it down in front of everyone.

Keiko blushed and then went back to cleaning up the kitchen a bit. She sat down and joined the rest of them. They were surprised when Hiei came in and sat by Yuki, eating silently as everyone gawked. 

Yuki blushed a bit, but no one noticed it, except Yukina. She smiled sweetly and went back to her curry. Kuwabara…well…he was running around the temple with his tongue on fire. "Make the pain stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he cried out and ran into a wall.

They all laughed as he sat up and drank a gallon of water, except Hiei. His thoughts were somewhere else besides Kuwabara's stupidity.

Instead, his thoughts were drifting to Yuki. She was so serious today as she yelled at him. And terribly scared, shaking in his grasp. She wasn't like he thought she was. There is something strange about her. She is not like Yukina as much as he thought. Sure, they were both sweet and kind, but she had a scary side. A serious one who may have been able to defend herself if the occasion called for it. But why hadn't she protected herself from the demon he killed the day before?

He looked at her and as if she was reading his mind, lifted a brow and whispered to him, "It's alright…" she paused, "I'm sure Kuwabara is stupider than that…" she grinned, catching him off guard. She hadn't known what he was thinking? But the way she looked at him…it was as if she could read his mind. He shook his head and ate more curry. Everyone smiled as Yukina helped Kuwabara get up and sit at the table.

Keiko yelled at Yusuke for looking up her skirt…again! And then he went crashing on the ground by her hand. Yuki almost coughed and choked on her curry. She looked at Hiei, saying, "And he's powerful?" she giggled.

He smirked and nodded, "Seems to be his only weakness" he said as he nodded to Keiko. "He gets very angry when something happens to her. I know first hand." he grumbled as he just admitted defeat against a human. But he was no normal human. He was not what he expected. Yusuke did what he had to to defeat someone, even if it means he would be seriously injured. He would die for the ones he loved, everyone knew that. Hiei, especially could relate to him. Hiei would gladly give his life so that Yukina would live.

Yuki was another story. He didn't want to even think about what he would do for her. She wasn't the type to let him give his life for hers. She was strong-willed, and she hid it, but she had much pride that only made Hiei respect her more. She was not the type to brag about something or tell others secrets. He learned that earlier that day. She never told anyone about Kokushibyou or her past. All they knew was that she was from Koorime. They knew really, nothing about her. Hiei was probably the only one that knew anything about her. She would never tell anyone her strength either. It was as though she was afraid that if someone knew, they would use it against her. 

Her ice field was stronger than Yukina's. He knew it was for it could protect anything she wanted it to. She was not one to let another die at the account of her. She would fight or at least defend herself until death. He respected her much more than anyone else he had ever known. She was always surprising him with her innocence and her rebellion. It was uncanny how much she changed over such a short period of time. How would she be tomorrow? Would she respect him? He guessed he had to wait. He hated patience, but it was something that he had mastered in an odd way. He had little patience but kept his cool. His eyes, he trained them to give nothing out about his technique. He didn't want anyone to know him truly. But somehow, Yuki found it all out. She uncovered the mystery.

She knew what he was thinking. She smiled at the thought. She congratulated herself on her success. She didn't back down and because she didn't, she uncovered the greatest mystery with ease…well, mostly ease. She uncovered some of his past and most of his personality. 

She beamed as Yukina smiled at her, knowing that Yuki had a slight fascination with Hiei. Yuki winked at Yukina, letting her know that she was making progress. Yukina smiled and ate more curry.

Yukina and Yuki, best friends from day one and still now, they shared everything. Naïve as both of them are, Yukina shared a bond and knew that Yuki liked Hiei more than a friend and Yuki knew that Yukina had grown a liking to the dumb orange-red haired boy by her side. They were both good guys, they couldn't deny it. Yuki's however, may hurt her but Kuwabara would never hurt Yukina, she knew that. Hiei was a bit rough around the edges, but he knew how to protect those he loved. She just wished, one day that he would grow to love her. She wanted him to protect her, but…in a way, she wanted to protect him as well.

Yuki wanted to let him know that just because of what happened in the past has no effect on what she felt for him. But had she told him that, he would surely laugh whole-heartily at her and tell her off. She didn't want to lose his trust because of her emotions. So instead, she stayed silent, like a cat, waiting for the right time to pounce.

**********

Kokushibyou: black death

Reviews Please

kage1586


	5. A Life for a Life

****

I DO NOT OWN YYH, I DO OWN YUKI AND ANYONE/THING THAT IS NOT IN THE ANIME/MANGA! READ ON!

When Fire and Ice Collide

Ch. 5

Yuki looked around. 'Where am I?' she ran towards a light that seemed to get farther and farther. Then, she saw a shadow appear. She knew the shape and who it was in an instant…then she saw another. A taller one with his hair pulled back. 

The taller figure looked at her with white eyes. The rest was black including the other figure. The only light was the one they stood before. She saw the taller shadow stab the shorter one over and over until they fell in a puddle of blood.

The taller one smirked, "Now you will be mine forever, 'rare gem…'" and with that, the shadow vanished. 

She ran to the fallen shadow and tears fell into little gems, "NO!" she pushed the shadow over and there was Hiei's face, the little boy she had grown attached to for some time…his face covered in his blood. He was dead.

*********

Yuki woke up in a blanket of sweat and fear, screaming. 

Hiei heard Yuki scream and jumped off the branch into her window and saw her trembling. He lifted a brow, "What the hell is the matter now!?" he growled.

She looked at him, uncovered herself and ran to him, clinging and crying into his cloak. He was all but shocked. He didn't know what to do with the little ice maiden. He pulled back and made her sit down, picking up five more tear gems and putting them into his cloak. He grumbled and then paced the room, running a hand through his hair, "This is not happening…"

Yuki didn't know what he was talking about but she tried to refrain from the tears threatening to fall. At least he was alive…but according to her dream, for how long?

Hiei stopped and looked at her, aware that her eyes were intent on him. "Hn." he started to pace again.

She frowned and then brought her knees up to her chest and clung to them, resting her head on top. She didn't want to know what would happen. She didn't want anything bad to happen. 

" You have been in her mind since she could remember. You have disgraced us ice apparitions and you have soiled her heart! …" she gasped at the memory of Kokushibyou's words. It was because of…HIM! She would not stand for it. 

Yuki got into a black kimono with silver snowflakes up it. Hiei looked at her as though she grew another head. "What are you up to?" he grumbled.

"I'll kill him…I swear it." Yuki grabbed a little crystal orb and walked out the door into the forest.

"Hn…" Hiei thought it best not to follow her but then again, she could get into trouble. He followed after her silently.

"Go back to the temple, Hiei." she growled. She knew he was following her and didn't want him to meet the fate of her dream.

"Hn." he walked up beside her just in spite. She rolled her eyes.

"Fine, follow me…" So he did… "Males!" she said disgusted and he smirked.

A cold wind blew past them and they instinctively stopped. She put up her ice field and Hiei took hold of his hilt, preparing to kill Kokushibyou this time. He knew Yuki was serious when she had said that she was going to kill 'him'…he didn't have to ask who she was talking about…

Kokushibyou appeared right before her and smirked at her field. I see that you have come and brought me a present…" he laughed at Yuki took her crystal orb out and had no emotion in her eyes what so ever. 

Hiei was confused at what that orb did but that didn't matter now…

They both ducked as Kokushibyou busted through the ice field with his fist. Hiei growled. 'Who the hell does he think he is?' he growled. He didn't like the fact that he'd been toying with the innocent girl this whole time.

Yuki looked a bit frightened but not for herself. It was clear to Hiei that her thoughts were placed on something else. But he didn't know it was for his safety.

Kokushibyou grabbed her by the arm and Hiei tensed. Kokushibyou grinned as Yuki struggled in his grasp, "You do realize that the forbidden one cannot help you…" he whispered loud enough for Hiei to hear. 

Hiei unsheathed his sword, "You damn coward!" Hiei growled and the bickering demons looked at him. "Fight me and let her go!" Hiei got into fighting stance.

"Well isn't this romantic…" Kokushibyou grinned and threw Yuki to the side, "Fighting till your death will not prove very heroic to your 'rare gem.'" Kokushibyou smirked and brought out a sickle and swung it around. "It will be a shame that with your death, your maiden will be mine…" 

"She's not mine nor will she ever be you bastard!" Hiei launched at him and they were in a quarrel. 

Yuki looked on in fear that Hiei wouldn't survive this fight as if it were her dream. But in the dream, Kokushibyou had a sword…not a sickle. What did it mean…HIEI'S SWORD!?

She yelled, "Hiei! Don't let him get your sword!" but Hiei wasn't concerned about that. He sliced his sword into Kokushibyou's shoulder and was knocked back in the stomach by his sickle. He fell to the ground and his sword went flying into Kokushibyou's hand. 

Yuki panicked, she had to do something. She tried to get up but noticed that a rather large thorn was jabbed into her knee. She gasped, "What do I do!?" she tried to pull the thorn out and looked at Hiei getting up some and looking at her.

"You live." he said and looked up as Kokushibyou stood over him. Yuki broke the thorn with some icicles and pushed herself off the ground and jumped in front of Hiei just as Kokushibyou sliced the sword…through her. 

She gasped and Kokushibyou's and Hiei's eyes went wide as he withdrew the sword and she fell over. Hiei grabbed her and set her down, "Curious!?" 

She heard the name and looked up at him, "I'm…sorry…" she touched his cheek and then fell limp. 

Hiei felt a tear fall that he tried to stop. He set her down gently and looked up at Kokushibyou in pure hatred.

"You saw it! She jumped in front of you!" Kokushibyou panicked some and held up the sickle. The sword had dropped to the ground as he saw what he'd done to Yuki. "I would have never hurt her!"

"You would have had you killed me as well…she didn't want you!" Hiei picked up his sword and growled.

"And she wanted you, I suppose!?" Kokushibyou would have laughed had he not had Hiei's sword against his neck.

"I don't know, I don't really care…you've caused her pain, you've caused her suffering…now, you've got a date with the devil." Hiei sliced his sword perfectly into Kokushibyou's neck and watched him fall to the ground. 

He looked down at Yuki, swung the blood off his sword and sheathed it. He knelt down and picked Yuki up in his arms and looked down at a tear gem. He knew she didn't cry at all today except when she woke up.

The tear gem…where'd it come from? He picked it up and dropped it in his cloak and walked back to the temple. Yukina, as fate would have it was the first one to see them. Her eyes went wide. 

"Hiei! What happened to her!?" Yukina looked at the deceased Yuki and a tear gem fell, "No…" she broke down in tear gems and Kazuma ran out and tried to comfort her.

He looked up to the sorrowful Hiei and yelled, "What the hell did you kill her for!? And to think I saw you as a decent person! You disgust me, shorty!" Kazuma would have punched Hiei but didn't want to upset Yukina more. He led her into the temple.

Hiei wouldn't have cared if Kazuma had hit him. Killed him even, but not right now…he had to do something. He walked around and saw Kurama, "Where's your mate?" he growled.

"She's still sleeping…what happened!?" Kurama looked at Yuki, dead in Hiei's arms as they both were drenched in blood, "You really don't have ANY luck with girls do you!" Kurama ran a hand through his hair.

"Shut up, fox!" Hiei growled and looked around, "Where is Botan?"

"She's um…I don't really know…" Kurama admitted.

"Something you don't know?! It's amazing." Hiei tried to jest but his heart wasn't in it. He looked around and saw Botan with Keiko and Yusuke. He walked over to them and Botan and Keiko gasped.

Yusuke's mouth dropped. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!?" Hiei growled and looked at Botan.

"Where's your boss?" Hiei asked.

"Who?!" Botan was still frightened as she saw Yuki's body lying in his arms.

"Koenma! Who else would you be working for!?" Hiei was getting more aggravated as minutes went on.

"I'm here, Hiei…" Koenma looked at Yuki and then at him again. He was in his teenage form and walked up. "May I ask how this happened?" Koenma lifted a brow.

"At least someone isn't blaming me!" Hiei glared at the other three. "She ran in front of me when Kokushibyou tried to kill me with my own sword and-"

"Kokushibyou?!" Koenma and Botan said at once.

"We've been trying to kill that dream-haunter for over 200 years!"

"Dream haunter?" Hiei lifted his brow in confusion.

"Yes, dream haunter. He would go into dreams of innocent stand byes and hint to them what will happen. In Yuki's case, she must have sensed that you would be killed…"

"By my own sword…" Hiei whispered to himself.

"What?" Koenma asked and then Hiei looked at him with pain in his eyes. He didn't want to hide it anymore, he didn't have it in him.

"She told me not to let him get my sword…and I didn't listen…I should have listened…" Hiei fell over in pain after that but twisted around to where he fell on his back so she didn't get anymore injuries.

"It's as if he still doesn't want her hurt…" Keiko said to Yusuke.

"Yea…"

"Poor guy…" Botan said sadly.

"He'll be fine in a few days!" Yusuke laughed and then looked down at Hiei as his arms still protected her but everyone saw the blood spilling out of his stomach.

Yusuke picked Yuki up out of Hiei's arms and then looked down. The girls gasped and the boy's eyes went WIDE. Hiei's gut had been cut almost all the way through. 

"Even after all that…he didn't get affected until now…strange…" Botan said.

"Not if you are in love." Kazuma said as he walked up with Yukina, Kurama, and Kitzuu.

"Oh…oh no…" Kitzuu said and covered her mouth, "Yuki…" she said and then buried her head in Kurama's chest. He stroked her hair and held her close.

"It's alright…" Kurama tried to soothe Kitzuu as best he could but he was having no luck. He felt terrible, he didn't know how to calm her down without yelling at her and then that would just upset her more…he sighed and held her more.

Yukina walked up to Hiei and began to heal him, "You should have told me that you were injured…I cannot help Yuki but I can help you…"

"Hn…" Hiei spat out as best he could and Yukina frowned.

"You shouldn't try so hard to put on an edge…you aren't fooling anyone…" she said and made him sit up, take his cloak and shirt off and she put bandages on him.

Kazuma of course, HAD to say something, "Hey! Don't be getting any ideas shrimp!" he said pointing to Yukina and Hiei.

"Hn." Hiei looked away and tried not to look at Yuki, but every time he tried not to, his gaze shifted to her in Yusuke's arms as he was being healed.

"She wasn't supposed to die…" Koenma said and then disappeared and went to spirit world, "I need to see the spirit of Yuki Hakuhen right now! Get on it!" he ordered and his trusty sidekick, George nodded and ran out to get her.

"Don't be so sad, Hiei…I'm sure Koenma will do something…" Botan said and tried to believe her own words. "He did it to Yusuke…" 

"Hn."

"Well…until we find out what he's going to do, we might as well get on with our regular lives…I have to lead more spirits to spirit world…sorry Hiei…" she disappeared and flew some spirits and then saw Yuki's just floating because she didn't know what to do.

"Botan?" she asked and flew over to her.

"YUKI!?" Botan cheered, "You are so loved!" Botan led the others to spirit world, dropped them off and then dragged Yuki to the temple. "They can't see you, but some of them can sense you!" she pointed as Yuki looked on.

Kazuma froze like a Popsicle and looked around all scared, "OH MAN!"

Yusuke looked at him and placed Yuki in Hiei's arms again, "What's your problem?!"

"I GOT THE TICKLE FEELING AGAIN!!" Kazuma looked around frantically.

"The tickle what?" Keiko asked.

"It's when he feels spirits…what is this? Another raccoon?" Yusuke joked.

"No…more like a…um…a mouse!"

(everyone anime falls)

"A mouse!?" Yuki squealed and looked at a shrugging Botan. "I'm a mouse!?!"

"I guess so…"

"OI!" Yuki rolled her eyes and flew over to Hiei who seemed out of anything at the moment. She looked at him as he held her and tensed as though she knew he was there.

She had an idea. She hoped it worked. She blew a breath of air into his face and his eyes looked up at her. She knew he couldn't see her but he sensed something. Then she blew a breath down his face to her lifeless body and he looked down as if the air was leading him. When the air stopped, it was over her long bangs. He lifted some of her hair and his eyes went wide.

He saw an earring but it was missing its jewel. She never had her hair up so he never noticed her ears. He thought about what could have gone there. He pulled the gem that she didn't cry in the forest out of his cloak that was laying beside him and looked at it.

He placed it in the clingers and watched the jewel shine. It did more than shine. It glowed and then he saw pictures in the gem. He looked closer…

*****

There she was as a little baby in her mother's arms. She looked at the cliff as they had the little boy wrapped in wards and bandages. She jumped out of her mother's arms and walked over to the little girl who looked on with her. 

It was clear to him that the other girl was Yukina. They watched as he was thrown off and they both ran over and looked over the cliff as he fell.

**

Years passed and the two girls were best friends. Yuki and Yukina vowed to find that boy again. They would do whatever they could to. 

Yuki promised that if she found him, she'd tell Yukina and Yukina vowed the same.

*****

Hiei looked over to Yukina and Kazuma still a bit saddened. 'She was going to tell Yukina that it was me…but why didn't she?' Hiei thought and then closed his eyes as the medicine started taking affect.

*******************

REVIEWS PLEASE!  
Tell me what you think! 

Kage1586


	6. An Invisible Face

****

I DO NOT OWN YYH, I DO OWN YUKI AND ANYONE/THING THAT IS NOT IN THE ANIME/MANGA! READ ON!

When Fire and Ice Collide

Ch. 6

Koenma sat in his office with about a billion stacks of papers. "We can't find the sprit of Yuki Hakuhen!" George said frantically.

"Where could she be?!" Koenma banged his head on the desk and then jumped five feet in the air at the sound of Botan's voice.

"HI KOENMA SIR!!!" she smiled as he landed on his back, "I'm sorry to bother you right now, but I have Yuki and-"

"YUKI! YUKI HAKUHEN!" George leaped up and down and helped Koenma up, "WE'VE FOUND HER!!!" he grinned and Koenma rolled his eyes.

"More like Botan found her." he said dryly.

"Yes…I will get back to work now…" George ran out of the office and left Yuki and Botan blinking.

"Anyway…Yuki, do you want to live?" Koenma asked and Yuki lifted a brow.

"But I'm dead…" Yuki said.

"I know…but do you want to live?"

"But I'm dead…" she replied again.

"I think you are missing the point, Yuki…" Koenma said slowly.

"NO! I think YOU are missing the point." she said a bit aggravated.

"So much like him, am I right, Botan?" Koenma asked her and she blushed.

"Yes, Koenma sir. She is very much like him."

"Who is this 'him'?" Yuki was getting more annoyed by the minute.

"Why…don't you know?" Koenma was getting amused by her anger.

"No!" she said sarcastically. "I just felt like asking that to sound like a helpless girl that needs to be explained to about EVERYTHING!" she grinned.

"Um…we can't explain a few things...well…it just doesn't feel right if I tell you how do to…do certain things and-"

"Oi!" Yuki smacked her head, "Do you always take things so seriously!" she growled and Koenma shrugged.

"Do you want to live?" he was asking again.

"Are you serious?!" Yuki asked a bit astounded, "I didn't know you could do that!" she beamed.

"Why yes…but see these only happen once every 100 years…but this time, it's happened quite a few times in this century." Koenma sweat dropped, "I can give you an egg that you hatch and if it feeds off good energy, you live, if bad…you get devoured by It." he grinned and she raised a brow.

"Devoured?" she asked skeptically, "I'm going to be devoured by a chicken?"

"You are obviously not getting the point…" Koenma rubbed his temples and sighed.

"No…apparently not." she gritted through her teeth.

"It's a spirit beast." Botan added in and Yuki and Koenma looked at her, "Sorry Koenma sir…" she apologized and bowed.

"OH! A spirit beast?!" Yuki grinned, "Now I understand!"

"You do?" Koenma and Botan asked in unison.

"Yea…I didn't grow up in Koorime and not understand anything about demons and supernatural stuff like me!" she grinned, "I'm not as naïve as you think." she said proudly.

"Oh?" Koenma asked. 

"Well…no...not really, but it sounded good, right?" she smiled and Koenma sighed.

"Very well…Botan will explain." he gestured his hand to Botan and she stood straight.

"Yes sir, Koenma….sir?" she thought about it and shrugged. "Yuki…come with me…" she said and Yuki followed after her.

"Wait! Botan!" Botan skidded to a halt as Koenma walked up to her in his teenage form and handed Yuki the egg, "You need this." he nodded and smiled some.

"Thank you Koenma, sir." Botan bowed, "It would have been most dreadful if we had left without that." she smiled back and Yuki and Botan flew out towards Genkai's temple again.

"So…this thing is supposed to give me a life?" Yuki asked.

"Yes." Botan nodded, "A spirit beast is hatched from your good or bad spirit energy." she continued when she had Yuki's attention, "If you let out good spirit energy, the spirit beast will let you live like Puu does to Yusuke. But if not, your spirit beast, as Lord Koenma said, will devour you!" Botan went all scary with dark clouds and lightning, cackling evilly. "Sorry."

"Ok…" Yuki shook her head, "Whatever you say…" she looked down at the egg, "When will it hatch?"

"When it has enough spirit energy…"

"That makes sense."

"Yea…wait, you said something I said made sense!" Botan was tickled to death.

"Um…no?"

"Oh…ok!" Botan chirped and they floated over the gang as Hiei slept from the antibiotics. 

Yuki bit her lip, flew in by him on the bed and brushed her hand against his cheek. The only thing that hurt was that her hand went right through him. "Hiei…" she whispered sadly and laid her head next to his, kneeling by the bed and falling asleep.

Botan thought it best to tell the gang now while the two slept. She appeared and scared Yusuke and Kazuma. "I really wish you'd stop popping up everywhere!" Yusuke grabbed his chest and breathed heavily.

"Sorry! But guess what!?" Botan asked.

Kurama joined them and Kazuma asked, "My kitten isn't gonna get eaten by fox-boy!?" he grinned and Kurama shook his head.

"Um…yea and?" Botan asked.

"There's a new group of thugs in town that the all powerful Urameshi can kill!" Yusuke cheered and danced around.

"No…" Botan scratched her head.

"Damn!" Yusuke yelled and snapped his fingers. Keiko lifted a brow in confusion.

"Let me have a try." Kurama said calmly and looked at Botan, "Koenma is giving Yuki another chance at life?" he asked.

"BINGO!" (trademark…had to do it in this story)

"Well, I could've guessed that!" Kazuma said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"So could I!" Yusuke pouted.

"Men…" Keiko sighed.

"Indeed." Botan nodded.

Yusuke, Kazuma, and Kurama: -_-;;

"Anyway! Yuki has a spirit egg!" Botan grinned.

"Just like me!?" Yusuke grinned and Puu flew in on his head.

"That appendage seems to like your head." Hiei came out, wincing some and then looking at everyone, "What?"

"Hiei…you shouldn't be moving…Yukina will get angry." Kurama pointed out.

"Hn."

"HIEI!" Yukina whined and he looked at her all huffy and puffy. "You shouldn't be up! You need your rest!" she ordered which scared the shit out of everyone else.

He didn't want to make her upset, so he winced and smirked, pointing to Kurama, "I want to hear what is going on." he said blankly but Kurama knew what he was talking about.

Hiei walked painfully back into the room and laid down again. Sensing he wasn't alone, he looked around but saw nothing. He knew she was there but he didn't know where.

Yuki stood by his side and knelt down beside him. She blew on his hair, right behind his ear and was shocked when he turned to face her. 'He can feel me…I'll have to ask Botan about this…' she decided and watched his hand reach for her. 

His hand was so close to her face that she thought her heart had stopped…again. -_-;; 

His hand brushed her face…and past it. He felt the coolness and knew it was her and smirked to himself, but hid it from anyone…even her.

She could have cried when his hand went through her face but after the look in his eyes, she decided that it was best to not cry. She'd see him soon enough...that is if the spirit beast didn't get the best of her. 'I'll be back…I promise.' she thought and got up, and crossed the room to the window. 

Botan appeared by her, invisible to everyone but Yuki. "How have you been fairing?" she asked cheerily.

"I'm fine…" she said sadly, "Botan…are you sure they can't feel me?" she asked and turned to Botan.

"Positive, why?" Botan asked, confused by her question.

"Because when I blew on Hiei, his hair moved slightly and he turned to look. It was as though he knew I was there." she said.

"Well…Hiei…um…" Botan wondered if she knew. "Did he ever show you what was behind the bandanna.

"I've seen him just put it on." she paused, "Why does he wear it all the time? A scar?" she asked.

"No…more like an eye."

"An eye!?" Yuki asked, confused, "Hiei didn't have an eye when he was thrown off Koorime…" she said.

"I know. A demon named Shigure implanted it on him. He was actually the first not to scream in pain. He didn't make a sound as it was implanted." Botan shuddered.

"Oh…so? What about it? He wanted a third eye, whoopee?" she said.

"Um…well, it's not a regular eye."

"Of course it isn't. it's a third eye on the forehead…not many have those implanted." Yuki said sarcastically.

"It's a Jagan Eye. Hiei is often known as Jaganshi Hiei." she pointed out.

"Jaganshi Hiei?" Yuki asked, a little confused.

"Jaganshi means the one with the third eye. Hiei, as you know, is his name." 

"Ok…but why is the Jagan eye so much more different than a third eye?" Yuki asked.

"A Jagan Eye lets him see far distances and search for a certain demon. That's how he found Yukina." 

"He found Yukina?"

"Yea. She was captured by a black market man named Tarukenay." she said and then looked at Yuki's shocked face.

"Yukina doesn't know Hiei is her brother?"

"No."

"Why won't he say anything? I know he knows…"

"He doesn't think he deserves her."

"That's poppycock!" Yuki was outraged and then looked at Hiei, not seeing the male she learned to trust, but the one that she grew to love.

"Yuki…you have to understand a lot about him…he's not very trusting." 

"I know…I know that…really, I do. I just…wish he trusted me…" she said sadly.

"Oh! You're probably one of the only ones that he does trust." Botan said.

"No…he wouldn't have followed me to see what I was up to. He didn't trust me enough to leave me be with that…ruthless jerk!" Yuki felt tears slide down her clear cheeks.

"Oh…Hiei won't be too happy if you aren't happy."

"He's never happy, Botan."

"Well…I just hope your wrong." Botan smiled and thought, 'If only you knew…'

As if Yuki read her thoughts, Yuki stared at Botan, waiting for her to say something else.

"So…how's the egg coming along?" Botan saw the disappointment in Yuki's eyes but didn't say anything. 

Instead, Yuki didn't argue, she took out the egg. "I don't know…what's it supposed to look like?" she asked and handed Botan the egg.

Botan looked at it, "It's coming on really well…" she said and gave it back, "You must have a lot of good energy."

"Um…well, I haven't done anything…" she admitted and Botan lifted a brow.

"I don't know why it would respond then-"

"Allow me to answer that." Koenma appeared and they both stared. He cleared his throat and continued, "It doesn't necessarily have to be what she does on this matter, more along the lines of what she feels." he said.

"What I feel?" Yuki asked.

"Yes." Koenma said and went on, "Because of whatever feelings you are experiencing now, you are feeding the spirit beast that energy." he said with a smirk.

"But that means…the beast will be sad?" she asked and Koenma shook his head.

"Is it a good or bad sad?" Botan asked.

"Um…I don't know." Yuki admitted.

"It's a good sad if it's what I think it is." he said and saw the confusion on Botan's and Yuki's face, "Love?"

"Um…I plead the 5th?" she said. (5th amendment says that you do not need to speak to officials to endanger your freedom…blah!)

"Then it's good love?" Botan asked and Koenma nodded.

"The spirit beast will hatch soon…and if you keep these feelings up, the beast will be as gentle as Puu." Koenma then vanished and Yuki's eye twitched.

"Puu? What the heck is Puu?!" she asked and Botan smiled.

"I almost forgot, you never met Puu…Puu is Yusuke's spirit beast."

"And it's gentle?!"

"Yes."

"Well…how is that? Yusuke would be the last one to have a nice spirit beast…wait…no, Hiei." she nodded.

"Yuki…there are worst demons out there than Hiei…worst humans as well."

"Yes…I suppose."

"At least you know Hiei will never take advantage of you." Botan pointed out.

"Yea…" and with that thought, a warm feeling came to Yuki's heart…love.

*******************

REVIEWS PLEASE!  
Tell me what you think! 

Kage1586


	7. Kokushibyou Lives?

****

I DO NOT OWN YYH, I DO OWN YUKI AND ANYONE/THING THAT IS NOT IN THE ANIME/MANGA! READ ON!

When Fire and Ice Collide

Ch. 7

Hiei awoke with a start. He had an awful dream. He saw Yuki and him sitting on the branch that she had covered him in a blanket previously that week. He growled when he thought of her words. 

*******

"Yuki?" Hiei asked, squinting to make out the shadows.

The smiling girl leaped into his arms, "Hiei!" she cried and pulled back, "Sorry…I just wanted to tell you something…"

"What?" he asked, a bit confused that she was sitting before her.

"I long to accomplish a great and noble task. But it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." she said and she became blurry. (this quote was by Helen Keller, I do not own it…)

He didn't know what was going on but he wasn't about to let her go again. He reached out and tried to hold her but he fell through her as she evaporated into the air.

********

He grabbed his pants and pulled them on and weakly walked out into the sunlight, searching for Kurama. "Where is that stupid fox…" he muttered.

"Hiei?" Kurama asked as he rounded the corner, "My ears are correct. Stupid fox…really Hiei, do you have to degrade me that much?"

"You are a fox!"

"But I'm not stupid!" they sounded like children then. -_-"

"Hn!"

"Why were you looking for me, or is it wrong to ask?" Kurama chided.

"Hn!" Hiei grunted and sat down on the grass while Kurama sat beside him, "I had a dream."

"Yes? So did Martin Luther King, Jr. but that doesn't mean it will be true." Kurama joked, "His isn't even true yet if it even will be…" he said and saw Hiei's glaring eyes, "Sorry…continue."

"Hn." he told Kurama the words that Yuki had spoken in his dream and Kurama scratched his head and laughed. "What's so funny!?"

"It's just that…YUKI?! Yuki wouldn't say those words! Hiei, come on! She's a lot like Yukina, she wouldn't understand half of those words!" Kurama jested and Hiei rolled his eyes.

"That's where you are stupid." he muttered, "You don't seem to know Yuki very well."

"I know her as well as you." Kurama challenged.

"How high is her ice field?" Hiei asked with a smirk.

"Uh…300?" Kurama asked, not even sure if there is such a thing.

"You can't rate ice fields, moron!" Hiei growled and looked away.

"I thought so but I was just guessing just in case." Kurama grinned and Hiei gave him a spiteful look.

"Kurama…she's not exactly what you would call naïve." Hiei said calmly.

Yuki was walking up with her little spirit beast which actually resembled a kitten. She rolled her eyes and listened to their conversation.

"What do you mean?" Kurama asked.

"She's…to be blunt, she's very opinionated and very strong." Hiei said, recalling what had happened a few days before.

"I think we need to get Yukina to check on you again, Hiei." Kurama felt his friend's head.

Hiei growled and got up, "There's something strange about that dream and I swear I'll get to the bottom of it!" Hiei stormed past Yuki and paused. 

Kurama and Yuki exchanged amused glances as they saw Hiei's amazed face. "Yuki?!" he almost lost his cool.

"Yea? How's it hangin?" she grinned and held up her kitten beast…meow!" she grinned and looked as if she would take out her own claws but instead scratched behind the kitten's ear.

"Hn…" he said softly and turned and walked off. 

"What's the matter with him?" Yuki asked Kurama and he shrugged.

"Just has a bit of the missing-someone-very-much-and-can't-believe-they-came-back-for-me-syndrome." Kurama smiled.

"I didn't come back for him." she lied and turned, following after Hiei.

*********

"Hiei!" she called but couldn't see him anywhere.

"Hn." he grumbled and she looked up to see him in a tree.

"Could you come down?" she asked all cute like.

"Hn." he hesitated and then fell to the ground on his feet, looking at her with ease as he sat on a rock.

"I'm really sorry…" she started and he looked up in confusion. "For…not telling you about…well, everything." she said ashamed.

"Hn." he said and then looked off.

"I didn't mean to get you in the middle of it…I didn't even mean to get you in it at all…Hiei" she paused and continued, "I didn't know he'd be here. I thought he was still on Koorime. Had I known he was here, I would have left." she said sadly.

"Hn."

"Can you please say something other than 'hn'?" she pleaded.

"Pathetic girl." he looked up and smirked as she glared at him.

"Thanks…really, that means o-so-much to me," she said sarcastically, "Now that I've apologized and all, you call me pathetic. What do I have to do to get attention from you!?" she yelled and then covered her mouth, the kitten resting on her shoulder.

He looked up in shock as the words came out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry…that's not what I meant…" she said and looked away. "I didn't mean it that way…" she said softly and he shook his head.

"No one ever does." she looked down and saw him with his eyes closed, listening to the whistling of the trees.

"I'm really sorry…it's not that I don't like you, Hiei…it's just…I can't." she said apologetically.

"What are you mumbling about?!" he said gruffly.

"I mean…never mind..." she said sadly and then was faced with the most confused look you'll ever see on Hiei.

"Hn…what were you saying?"

"Nothing…"

He grabbed her by the arms and shook her some, "Dammit! Tell me!"

"I really don't know…it's just…never mind." she said shamefully and walked off into the forest.

"Hn…" he said silently but followed her none the less. He stopped abruptly to see her in tears as they fell to the ground. He felt lower than scum. He counted each and every one that fell. He walked over and stood beside her while she was in a heap on the ground. "Cry." he said as softly as he could.

"Ugh!?" she looked up and he saw the pain in her eyes. "Does it please you that much to see me in pain!?" she squealed.

"No. Just cry. It will all be over soon enough." he said and knelt down to pick up her tears.

"Why do you do that?" she asked.

"Do what?" he retorted kind of in a mean way.

"Pick up all those tears?!"

"I have my reasons."

"Oh, is the all-powerful-and-mighty-Hiei too good to tell a stubborn 'pathetic' ice maiden?!" she challenged.

That was all the fire apparition could take. He dropped the tears to the ground again and brought her in his arms and kissed her possessively.

She lost her sense of mind when his lips touched hers. She wanted to scream and rant about what he was doing but at the same time, wanted him for all he was worth. 

He pulled back and pushed her aside, "That should not have happened." he growled and cursed at himself.

"I…I'm sorry…" she said and got up, brushing herself off. "I should not have been so harsh with my words." she said softly.

He groaned as the siren he had just taken with his lips started all over again with the temptations. He wanted her…bad. But this was Hiei…he didn't go for anyone. He didn't rely on anyone. He didn't love anyone…with the exception of Yukina. 

He remembered some of Yuki's words before, "You really love her, don't you?" he looked at her flushed face as she gently picked up the kitten that curled into her hand.

"Hn." he said and looked back. He wasn't sure of who he loved any more. He loved Yukina, but he couldn't keep the fact that Yuki held a part of him as well. He didn't want to see her in the arms of another. 

His blood boiled as he thought about the demon that killed her. He called her 'rare gem'… 'what was that about?!' he wondered.

Just when she was about to leave, he grabbed her wrist and turned her around.

"Please…Hiei, don't do this…" she didn't want to tell him how she felt…she knew she was about to and didn't want to even think of it anymore.

"Why did he call you 'rare gem'?" he asked abruptly and stopped her in her tracks.

"What!?" she struggled and tried to get free of his grasp, "I'm not gonna answer that!"

"Tell me for my own damn piece of mind!" Hiei ordered and she cowered in fright.

"IT DOESN'T CONCERN YOU!" she shot back and tried to wrestle her wrist free but he held firm. "Let me go!" she begged and tugged more on her wrist.

Instead, he held tighter and glared at her scared ice-blue eyes, "Tell me!" he growled.

"NO!" she felt tears slide and gems fall to the ground and he let go swiftly almost letting her fall back.

He blew out a strained breath and picked up the gems and put them in his pocket. "Why not!?" he yelled to her as she tried to regain her posture.

"Because…you don't need to know!" she growled some and turned, heading towards the temple. 

But she wasn't fast enough. He grabbed her by the waist and ran as far as he could away from the temple. All the while she was ranting on and on and kicking and screaming at him.

"LET ME GO! PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW!…" she didn't want to cry but he was being impossible.

"Not until you tell me what I asked!" he said and stopped abruptly.

"Will you stop at nothing to get what you want!?" she cried out and he looked at her with no emotion whatsoever in his eyes.

"Hn." 

"Fine! He wanted to be mated with me…" she started on her story.

********Koorime*********

Many young girls including Yuki were bewildered about the strange boy coming to their lands.

"Who is he?"

"Kokushibyou!" one of them giggled.

"Who is he?" Yuki asked and the ice maiden looked at her and fanned herself.

"HE is HE!" she grinned. "He's an expert at dreams!" 

"How?"

"Oh! You don't know!? He can either make your dream pleasant or terrifying! He's marvelous!" the girl grinned.

One of the other girls giggled, "If I mate with him, I sure hope he makes mine pleasant!"

"ME TOO!" all of them screamed but Yuki.

She had other thoughts, 'What if he was a lurer? If he was one…he'd lure others to be his mates and make their dreams awful and they would commit suicide or something else not to be talked of on Koorime.' she decided it best to stay away from the new stranger.

But he didn't like it that way. He only saw Yuki and that was enough. She wasn't like the other girls. She didn't care. She would care for him when he was done with her. He did his best to seduce her but nothing worked until one day…

"Yuki…" Kokushibyou said softly and she looked up at him.

"Yea?" she asked.

"Mate with me…please."

"No." she said bluntly and looked away.

"Why the hell not!?" his anger increased and she put up her shield.

"Because I do not love you." she said, narrowing her eyes as she looked up at him.

"What's love got to do with mating!?"

"EVERYTHING!" she yelled and got up.

"It's because of that bastard, isn't it!" Yuki looked at him in disgust, "The one thrown!? I've heard of him! A bastard child cannot love you! It can't love anyone! Don't you see!?" he tried to touch her but her field went up even more.

"How dare you!? I bet you are one as well, you disgusting varmint!" she stormed away and looked over the cliff.

He approached her, "Yuki! DON'T!" he called and the gust of wind blew her off and she fell to the trees of Makai.

*********

Yuki looked away in shame as Hiei finally started to understand some. "That does not explain why you do not like to be called 'rare gem.'" Hiei grumbled some.

"No…it doesn't." she admitted, "I just don't like the fact that he'd tease me and try to seduce me with that pet-name." she spat. "Forgive me, I need not be so rude to others."

"Why are you so…nice!?" he asked, "If you don't love him then he should have just left you alone!" he growled.

A chuckle came and both of them were alert. "So… 'rare gem'…you've talked about us to him…then he will have to fight me to have you…" they both knew who it was and turned to the voice and saw Kokushibyou standing before them.

"You're dead!" Yuki gasped.

"Oh no…actually, I'm very alive…" he smirked and grabbed her by the arm, whispering seductively, knowing Hiei would hear, "But we've got unfinished business…in the bedroom darlin'." he grinned and dragged her behind him. "I plan to make you my mate…"

"No you don't!" Yuki cried, praying Hiei would help her, "You hate me! Let me go!"

"I do not hate you…" he growled.

"Let me go!" she glanced back at the shocked Hiei, "Help…please Hiei!" she screamed.

The way his name rolled off her tongue somehow caught him off guard and he sprung into action. Not only to kill Kokushibyou, but to save the one he…loved?

*******************

REVIEWS PLEASE!  
Tell me what you think! 

Kage1586


	8. A Fight

****

I DO NOT OWN YYH, I DO OWN YUKI AND ANYONE/THING THAT IS NOT IN THE ANIME/MANGA! READ ON!

When Fire and Ice Collide

Ch. 8

Yuki cried out as Kokushibyou carried her farther away. She remembered screaming for Hiei and seeing him face her in an odd way and then running after them.

"Let her go!" Hiei ordered as he pounced off the ground and landed onto Kokushibyou's back and wrestled with the demon.

Yuki, however was thrown back and hit a tree, breaking her arm. She cried out in pain as the searing indescribable torture zinged her arm.

Hiei heard the piercing screech but couldn't stop when he was in pursuit to beat the living shit out of this asshole. But with Kokushibyou's strength, he flung Hiei off of him. 

Hiei fell to the ground and hopped up quickly, "I'll kill you!" he charged after the demon. There was no way that he would let Kokushibyou ever touch Yuki again. He lost her once and he wasn't about to make that mistake again. 

"Only if I don't kill you first…" Kokushibyou said with a sneer and the fight was on. Hiei was attacked by a fist barely missing his ribs as he dodged with his great speed and unsheathed his sword.

"I will not fight with an unarmed man…but you are not a man…and I will not fight if I know I will lose…" Hiei growled.

"Wise words…short life, pity Bastard!" Kokushibyou growled back.

"No…these words are being spoken because they are the last you'll hear…and I will not lose this battle unless you are dead first!" Hiei charged at him, "You will regret ever going after Yuki!"

"Yuki is a pawn in my game of chess boy!" Kokushibyou sneered as he caught the blade with one of his own that he unsheathed seconds before Hiei attacked.

"What are you talking about!" Hiei yelled as he jumped away from his opponent's swinging sword.

Kokushibyou paused, as did Hiei and began to explain. "I never wanted that girl…I wasn't in the mood for someone that rebellious to be around me…"

"So you were going to ruin her dreams?!" Hiei couldn't believe his ears but he didn't put it past Kokushibyou to do such deeds.

"Oh…how petty." Kokushibyou smirked, "Actually I was thinking much larger goals. First, mate with her so she can not have anyone to run to and ask for help and then ruin her dreams until she… 'tragically' killed herself. How sad." he said with a hint of humor.

"You bastard!" Hiei shouted and ran towards him with his eyes searing red.

"Come on!" Kokushibyou launched at him and then stopped in mid-jump. Hiei looked on in surprise.

'What is he trying to pull?' Hiei wondered and then was even more shocked as blood starting flowing from Kokushibyou's mouth.

"Rare ge-" Kokushibyou started and then fell to the ground in a puddle of his own blood, where Hiei saw an icicle protruding from his back, right at his heart. Hiei checked the pulse and nothing, and then looked over to Yuki.

Hiei saw Yuki on the ground, trembling and grabbing her arm, "I-I didn't mean to…I just wanted to help…I didn't mean to kill-" she was cut off as Hiei knelt beside her and took her in her arms, rocking her some.

"It's not your fault…" he didn't know what else to say so he just rocked her some as she clung to his arms and cried in his shoulder. For a second, he didn't know what to do and then she looked up with streaming tears and smiled.

"Thank you." she whispered and he pushed back some in surprise.

"For what?" he made more of a snarl than a regular voice, typical for him in these situations…

"For trying to make me feel better…and I do. Now that he's gone…hopefully, I feel much better. I don't recall if I've ever felt so great." she smiled more.

Her smile had the oddest effect on him. He couldn't quite bring himself to hurt her, no matter how much she pissed him off with her innocence. She was just like his sister. Naïve but loyal and he didn't want to change that about her.

He stood up and turned, waiting for her to join him. When she didn't, he turned to see a strange confused look upon her face. "Hn." he muttered and held out his hand.

She lifted her brow and then looked at her arm. "It's broken…" she mumbled and then he understood. She hadn't mastered healing herself with her powers.

"Hn…" he grumbled and then knelt down and picked her up as she whimpered. He frowned, he didn't mean to get her hurt but he made a vow that he'd make sure Kokushibyou would never hurt her again.

"Hiei?" she whispered and he looked at her as he continued walking, not breaking his stride.

"Hn?" he asked.

"Are you mad?"

"Yes." he said a bit too fast.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to upset you." she lowered her head and winced as her arm brushed his chest.

"You didn't." he growled. 'What is she talking about?'

"But you said-"

"I said I was mad but I didn't say at you." he growled as he started walking up the temple steps.

"Why don't you just jump up the steps?" she asked as he gritted his teeth at every single step.

"Because you will be in searing pain. I'm not as graceful as Kurama and neither are my steps."

"But you can make yourself be graceful…I've seen you do it. You are a great fighter, why can't you just do it now? It will save you time." she pointed out.

"Maybe I don't want to save time." he sneered and stopped when he was about half way up the steps and stared at her.

"What do you mean? Everyone wants to save time." she smiled uneasily. 

"I want to stop time…just for a moment. But if I do, I'm afraid that you will hate me for it." he said honestly.

"I could never hate you Hiei. You saved my life countless times." she smirked.

"Hn…" he growled and then looked away from her. 'I got to stop this…no matter what she says, she'll hate me. Just like everyone else…'

"What are you afraid of?" she said out of the blue.

"What?" he asked a bit surprised.

"You heard me…what are you afraid of? Or are you the all big and mighty guy that isn't afraid of anything?" she lifted her brow.

"I'm afraid of things I do not discuss." he admitted.

"Ah…or else someone will learn and then use it against you?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Not even me? You won't tell me any of them?" she asked.

"Why do you want to know?" he sneered.

She tensed some and he automatically cursed his genius of scaring her. "I just wanted to get to know you better. You know some of my fears, right?" she asked.

"No." he admitted, "I don't pay attention to little details." 

"You should." he looked at her with surprise and she continued, "Because sometimes, the little things are a lot more important than the big things…everyone knows of the big things." she said, "But if you remember a little thing, then you may just be the one to help out where everyone else can't." 

"I don't care what others think of me…"

"I know. But don't you care about your own self?" she asked.

"No." he said and shrugged, still standing still on the step.

"That's what the problem is then." she grinned and he looked skeptically at her, "You see, how can you care about Yukina or anyone else for that matter if you don't care about yourself?" she asked.

"I just do." he said and growled as he started to walk up the steps again, shooing the previous urge he had to kiss her. 'How can I care about such a talkative girl?' he asked himself.

"Then you are strange. Every single thought for someone else is reflected on how you think about yourself."

"So you're telling me that I care about Yukina that much because I care for myself that much?" he scoffed.

"Well…no…that's not what I meant." she frowned, "You would rather give your life for her to see her safe then to just let her die. That means that you really are good at heart and don't like to see suffering."

"That's not true. If they deserve it, they die." he smirked at her.

She trembled below his gaze and then sighed, "But you make it fast and you will put them out of their misery if you must. You don't like to see others suffer, no matter what they do. It's not like you to be so cold-hearted and blood-thirsty." she said and then looked towards the temple they were nearing.

"I used to be." he growled.

"Not so blood-thirsty that you could not get out. That says a lot Hiei, you just don't realize it." she smiled.

"I am not as bad as many demons but I do know how to kill." he growled and set her down and found Yukina, "She needs to be healed."

"So do you, Hiei." Yukina saw some blood dripping from his coat. "You must stay. You need that taken care of." Yukina pointed to his abdomen.

"I need no help. I'm fine. Go see her." Hiei stormed off and looked out to the forest and heard footsteps. "What do you want, fox?" he growled.

"Did Yuki notice?" Kurama asked as he stood beside his friend.

"No. She was too busy lecturing me about how much 'good' was in me." he growled.

"She cares, Hiei." Kurama nodded towards a bird with her eggs in the nest in a nearby tree. "Being protective doesn't mean it's because they are family. Sometimes, being protective over a friend is just as good." he grinned at Hiei.

"What are you talking about now?" Hiei glared at him.

"Family is there no matter what you do even if you can't stand them. But friends are the family we pick out Hiei."

"And I suppose you will tell me that you consider me family, Kurama?" Hiei said skeptically.

"Yes, I do." Kurama said and smirked at him, "A brother, actually. Which, in some odd way, makes me responsible for Yukina just as you are." he grinned.

"You are not responsible for her well being!" Hiei growled at him and turned, wanting to go on.

"Nor are you." Kurama cut in, "You do not need to make sure her life is great and wonderful and that she wants for nothing. Hiei, I hate to be the one to tell you, but you should know."

"Know what?" Hiei asked, crossing his arms.

"That just because you are both related, doesn't mean that she is entirely yours to protect. Are you going to mate with her?" Kurama joked.

"You sick asshole!" Hiei went to punch Kurama, who just dodged.

"Calm down." Kurama said as he hopped to a tree, out of distance, "If she is to mate, will you be the one who still protects her…will you try to butt in when you do not need to? She will have a mate that will protect her as well…"

"How are you so sure? Kokushibyou tried to mate with Yuki to make her kill herself because she was too much of a challenge for him." Hiei revealed.

"Well…you can help her pick out her mate since you are here to protect her." Kurama smirked.

"But had Yuki fallen for him, she would be dead. And then I could not have helped her…"

"You would not have known her. Would it have really mattered to you?" Kurama asked.

"No…" Hiei looked off into the forest again, "Not really…"

"But had Yukina found out that her friend, Yuki of course, died, then what would you have done? Nothing…because you can't tell Yukina that you are her brother and you can't comfort her because you are barely a friend in YOUR eyes? Yukina cares for everyone very much, you being her brother should know this." Kurama pointed out.

"Hn."

"Hiei, is that the answer that you have for everything that you cannot answer to?" Kurama caught Hiei's eyes and then continued, "If you don't open up, how will anyone know the real you?"

"Yuki knows."

"You let her."

"Hn."

"Hiei…" Kurama warned.

"I guess…but not with my consent."

"Maybe you did give her consent."

"What are you blabbering about now?" Hiei said, a bit agitated.

"As in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt of the U.S., 'No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.'" he grinned.

"She doesn't make me feel inferior!" Hiei growled.

"Doesn't she?" Kurama asked, knowing that Yuki was walking up behind Hiei, but because he was too ruffled to sense her. 

Her arm in a sling, she stepped up behind Hiei to witness what was going on. 'What? I make him feel inferior?' she didn't want to…

"Ok! The blasted ice princess makes me feel inferior, is that what you wanted to hear you damned fox!" he growled and turned to see Yuki, "Hn?" he said a little odd. He lost his cool to be honest and he started to fidget.

"Ice princess? I'm still an ice princess? A cold hearted bitchy girl that doesn't let anyone get close?" she asked, a tear gem fell and then she slapped him and was surprised when he didn't growl. "Listen, fire prince, I'm tired of being told that I'm worthless, naïve, doesn't know how to judge people, I mean, name it!" she growled.

"What?" Kurama hopped down to accompany them. "When did all this happen?" he growled at Hiei who shrugged.

"Everyone calls ice maidens those things! There isn't one being out there that doesn't see us as that! You both, I heard you talk about them…and besides, you even see Yukina as naïve!" she growled at Hiei and stormed away, her spirit beast following.

"Yuki!" Kurama called and then Hiei stopped him.

"I will go…" Hiei said calmly as he ran after her. Nearing the lake in which direction she went, he saw her sitting on the bank. 

Every time before this, he wouldn't have really cared but the way the sun shone off her blue hair was enticing and the way that it was all placed, how it was styled just made it better. He walked up and saw her holding the cat looking spirit beast in her arms. She was scratching behind the ears and kissing its head. "It's alright…I know, I was just upset. Don't get scared…" 

Hiei saw the spirit beast trembling some and then walked up some more. "Yuki?" he said calmly and she looked up quickly.

"What do you want?" she asked, a bit frightened. "I know I'm no match for you but I won't die without a fight!" 

"What?!" Hiei grabbed her by the shoulders, "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Just because I went off and no one has done that before, you're going to kill me…right?" she asked.

"No." he smirked and let go of her shoulders, "I think it was best you said that." she looked at him confused. "You were the first to really do that and I admire your spunk…actually" he closed the distance between them and took her face in his hands as she gasped.

"H-Hiei?" she gasped right before his lips descended on hers.

*******************

REVIEWS PLEASE!  
Tell me what you think! 

Kage1586


	9. The Heart of the Mind

__

I don't own YYH or YUM! (that is a real fast food place in Asia), but I do own Yuki and this ff.

When Fire and Ice Collide

Ch. 9

Yuki's mind was going in a whirlpool of thoughts. 'Hiei?!' her mind blanched as his lips lightly touched hers. It was gentle for Hiei but still strong. 

She started to tremble and he broke the slight contact and looked at her strangely and then nodded as though he understood, "I know what you think now." he said quietly and walked off, leaving a stunned and flustered Yuki in a pit of confusion.

*****Genkai's Temple*****

"Have any of you seen Hiei? I'm really worried about him." Yukina said quietly as she sat by Kurama and Yuki. Yuki stayed quiet and Kurama blinked and shrugged.

"It's alright, Yukina. He will be fine." he grinned, hoping that he was right.

"Yes. I'm sure, but it isn't like him to not be around right now, we are eating." she said.

"Maybe he went to YUM!" Kurama shrugged.

"Fast food? Really Kurama, couldn't you think of anything else?!" Genkai put her two cents in and ate some rice.

"Yuki, you are awfully quiet…" Kurama changed the subject…somewhat. 

"Yes. I have a lot on my mind." she said quietly and then stood up, "I need some fresh air. Please excuse me." she bowed politely and walked out to the pond, sitting down and sighing.

"Yuki?" she turned her head to Kurama.

"Yes?" she asked, a bit nervous.

"What happened? I haven't seen Hiei and you haven't talked at all since he went to go get you…" he paused as she turned her head away, "Did he hurt you?" he asked as he sat beside her, concerned.

"No. He didn't hurt me." she looked out at the pond with shining ice blue eyes in the dark that looked like diamonds on black velvet.

"I didn't mean physically." he said and she stiffened, "Hiei wouldn't hurt you intentionally." he said softly.

"I know." she sighed and looked at him, "Kurama…what does Hiei mean when he says, 'now I know what you think of me?'" she asked.

Kurama was thrown off guard and then thought for a moment, "Well…it depends on why he said it." he shrugged.

"That's what I'm asking you." she challenged.

"Well…what brought it up?" he asked.

"I…well…" she was at a loss of words.

"Because" he started and she looked at him, thankful that he didn't pursue it, "if he said it while you were just talking, it could have meant anything. But if you were still fighting, he may have meant that you see him like mostly everyone else does." he pointed out.

"Yea…but I see him as a protective and well planned fighter who--"

"No, that's not what I meant." he said and then her mouth formed an 'O' and he continued, "Most people and demons see him as troublesome and without a heart, while we see him as just the opposite. Many do not trust him because how he is so quiet but that's why we trust him."

"I guess it just means that people don't like what they don't understand." Yuki said and looked at Kurama.

"Exactly." he nodded.

Up in a tree, Hiei was listening to the words. '…Hn…' he looked over to the two and growled. 'She doesn't understand at all…' but their next words amazed him, especially hers.

"Kurama…I think I can tell you this. Hiei and I…well…" she blushed some.

"Kissed." he said as though it was nothing.

"Yea…" she looked at him quizzically.

"I was eavesdropping." he shrugged innocently.

"You have a habit of that." she scowled and then went on, "but…the thing was, I wasn't really afraid of him…I was afraid that he'd leave." she lowered her gaze.

"Leave? Why would he?" Kurama was bewildered by her words.

"Because of me. I yelled at him…and hit him." she paled some, "And he said that no one ever had the nerve and lived…" she looked at Kurama, "And then he said he was glad that I did." 

"Then why would he leave?" Kurama asked again.

"Because he met a match and gave up. It's not fun to have a challenge that you cannot win." she said.

"He can win." Kurama chuckled some.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Hiei could have killed you at anytime, he chose not to."

"Let me guess, because I am Yukina's friend since--"

  
"No." he interrupted, "This has nothing to do with Yukina." seeing confusion in her eyes, he went on. "Hiei let you live because for once, there was someone he could really talk to." he sighed.

"What about you?" she asked.

"I know a lot of Hiei, but he hasn't told me as near much as he told you." he looked up to the stars, "Hiei has found someone that he can talk to and who will talk back. You two share a lot, even though it seems that you don't." he sighed.

"I still don't understand." she said and sighed, "I guess I am naïve."

"No. That's not entirely true." he grinned at her rolling her eyes, "Hiei and you have been through a lot already. And it hasn't even been a month. I can't wait to see a year." 

"I don't think that will happen." she said quietly.

"Why not?" Kurama asked.

"Because if he didn't come to dinner, why would he stay that long?" she asked.

"Because now he has something besides comrades to stay for." he said with a glint of humor.

"Fox…leave her alone." they both turned to see Hiei approach from behind.

"Hiei?" Kurama said aloud as Yuki's was just a whisper.

"Hn." he said.

"I think I will go now…" Yuki was stopped by Kurama's hand.

"No. Three is a crowd." Kurama said.

"That's why I was going." Yuki crossed her arms.

Kurama and Hiei both twitched. "Like I said, I'm going." Kurama basically ran to the temple.

Hiei just shook his head and looked towards the forest, standing beside Yuki, "Hn."

"For once I agree with you." she sighed and looked away and he looked at her oddly.

"What do you mean?"

"When you don't have anything to say, you just say 'hn.'" she said.

"I have something to say, I just don't know how."

"I know how that feels." she sighed.

"Hn." he sat down and looked at her, "You won't look me in the eye but you are such a great friend with Kurama?" he asked which caught her attention.

She turned her head, with her eyes shining, "What do you mean?"

"I was listening from the branch." he pointed up and she saw where he meant.

"Oh…"

"Did you mean what you said?"

"I always mean what I say." she countered.

"I meant, about the people don't understanding…" he said in an odd way.

"Yes." she nodded, "People don't like what they don't understand."

"Then you don't like me?"

"Hiei…I don't know much about you, regardless of what Kurama says, but I understand a tad bit of you. So I can't not like you." she said.

"Hn." he nodded some and then thought about it for a few moments. "Yuki?"

"Yes?" she asked, looking at him.

"Did the Koorimes really understand you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"You said that you asked about me up there…they must have shunned you." he said and saw some flicker of hurt in her eyes.

"Yes." she admitted, "They thought that I was another child that needed to be put away. But since I stopped asking the elders what happened and why, they let me be, thinking that I gave up. But me and Yukina would talk and wonder many years before she was kidnapped."

"Hn?" 

"We couldn't get the answers so we made them up. Saying that you were forced off Koorime because they didn't want a fire demon around…" she said sadly.

"That is true, but how did you know I was a--"

"Fire demon? My mother." she grinned, "Bless her soul. She died when I was young. She would fill us in, and the Koorimes didn't know it and we never told. My mother would tell us many things about you and your mother. She said that your mother fell in love with a fire demon and since you were a twin, you would be a lot like your father. But you still had some ice demon in you." she said.

"I do. But nothing that I can control as power." he growled.

"Is power really all it needs to be?" she asked and caught his gaze, "Why do you need power?"  


"To protect what I need to!" he growled and was surprised when she didn't flinch.

"What do you need to protect?" she asked.

"My sister and my friends."

"Friends? Why, Hiei…" she taunted, "I didn't know you considered them friends."

"I--"

"I know." she smiled and it wiped the scowl off his face. "You want to protect those who are close to you…Yukina, and Kurama, and Yusuke, and Kuwabara…" she started to continue on but he stopped her.

"And you." he said.

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Hn." (One word convos…don't you love them?)

"Hiei!"

Hiei looked at her and sighed, "I just do."

"Hiei, that's not an answer." she scowled some.

"I know."

"Well?!"

"Because I don't want you hurt." he said proudly as if he wasn't phased at all.

"Is that all?" she asked.

"What?" he looked at her in bewilderment.

"Well…everyone here is protecting each other because they don't want them to be hurt." she shrugged.

"You're different."

"Because I am Yukina's friend?" she asked.

"No, because you are mine." he said and shocked her.

"But…you couldn't stand me this afternoon."

"Yes I could." he thought and then shook his head, "No…I couldn't." when he saw her eyes shade over in hurt, he continued, "I could not stand how you were a match for me in wits, even though I figured that maidens were no match for me. You see, I just couldn't think that you would be able to rebel and hit me or even yell at me." 

She gasped a bit and then hung her head, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to hit you or yell for that matter, but I was so mad that you said I made you feel inferior…"

"Hn." he said and then looked out to the forest again, "You made me feel inferior, yes. You got under my skin many times…but I don't care." he admitted and looked at her confused eyes.

"Hiei?" 

"I don't care what happens to me as long as you are happy." he said in a soft voice and looked down.

"Hiei…why? Why do you care about--"

"Because I do. I can't explain why I do, I just can't stand the fact that that…dream nightmare thing was going to use you and ruin your life…" he growled, "I wouldn't let him hurt you anymore. I knew he was bad news but the way he called you 'rare gem' made my chest churn. I didn't think he was worthy enough to call you such things."

"He didn't but you do." she whispered and he was taken back. "You see, he didn't do anything for me. You were the one who risked your life and you were the one that did so much." she felt a tear gem fall on her cheek and knew he saw it when he picked it up. "And I owe you that too! And I haven't done anything!" she cried.

"Hey…" he grabbed her shoulders and shook her some, "Don't cry, please…don't do this for me. I'm not worth your tears…" he brushed her hair some.

"No…you are worth so much more…" she said and surprised him as she hugged him close. "So much more…" 

"Yuki?!" he blanched and surprisingly he enveloped her in his arms. "I don't know how you think of such obscene things…"

"No…I know it's crazy," she giggled through her tears, "See…I know I'm naïve and I don't understand much, but I understand that I don't want to be with anyone else right now." she sniffed, "Or anytime." 

"Hn?!" he looked at her in confusion and pulled away, "Yuki?"

"Hiei." she said calmly as possible and looked up at him, "I really don't care what happened to you or who you were if you were anything but how you are now. I don't care because I know you're not as bad as everyone thinks…and I really don't care because…I don't know how, but I fell for a 'fire prince.'" she waited, half excited to get that off her chest and half afraid of rejection.

"Yuki…I can't make you happy." he bowed his head in shame, the first time that she ever saw him do such a thing.

She placed her hands on his face and tilted it up, "Hiei…you already have. You've saved my life and you make me realize, no matter how bad things are, that I should keep trying to be me." she smiled.

"What? When did I say that?"

"You didn't. I said, you made me realize…by how you still protect Yukina and you will give your life for her if you must. But you keep fighting…even though, you don't have to, you go on. You live because you strive to. You want to live, don't you?"

"If me dying, means that you will be left alone and unprotected, no…I don't want to." Hiei said truthfully.

"Hiei…what about Yukina?" she asked.

"Yukina will find a mate one day and I will not have a reason to protect her. Her mate will serve that purpose and then what good will I do for her?"

"You are her brother!" she cried and tugged at his arms.

"Yes. But she does not know that…" Hiei sighed, "I'm sorry to say that but she does not." 

"Tell her?" Yuki asked.

"I won't." 

"Why not?!" she blurted out some.

"Because I do not want her to be upset that I knew this all this time and I never told her…"

"She will understand."

"No…I'm not so sure."

"Hiei." she touched his cheek, "she loves you even if she doesn't realize you're her brother. And she'd never hold it against you. She will hear your reasons, I'm sure." 

"Are you now?"

"Yes." she nodded.

"I may just tell her one day."

"That's good. At least you will try…" she grinned.

"Yes." he nodded.

"And that is all that matters." she smiled, "You see, as long as you try, it doesn't matter if you win or lose. Everyone tries but most quit and since you don't, that makes you that much stronger." 

"Wise words for one to be called naïve." he lowered his head, not meeting her eyes.

"HIEI!!!!!!!" she poked him and he looked up at her, "DON'T YOU DARE LOWER YOUR GAZE FROM ME AND HAVE THE NERVE TO CALL ME NAÏVE!" she crossed her arms arrogantly and he chuckled and then burst out into laughter, "What's so funny?!"  


"It's just…I believe I am rubbing off on you." he set back to a low chuckle again.

"And that's a problem?" she asked.

"Hn."

"Well…I don't think it is. I have to stand up for myself, you know. I'm a big kid now." she said in a way that makes you think of the 'Pull-up' commercials. (I do not own Pull ups…yay!)

"With a big heart." he added.

She blinked and then nodded, "Yes, with a big heart. Thank you."

"For what?" he was so confused about her he didn't understand anything anymore. The world was more of a blur than reality.

"For reminding me I had one. If you rub off on me too much, I may just forget." she joked.

"I do have a heart, I just don't use it."

"Yes you do. You live."

"I meant with emotions."

"That's not true." she pointed to his chest, "A heart is just something that beats blood throughout your body and keeps you alive…" and then she pointed to his head, well…hair. "Your mind is what controls your emotions, but you are well kept in that area."

"I don't know about that so much anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"You just put it in a daze."

"Sorry." she frowned.

"Don't be. I like not being so sure of myself. In a way, I feel like my 'ice' side is coming out."

"Hiei…just don't let it get as bad as us." she smiled, pointing to the temple where Yukina was talking to Kuwabara and then pointed to her. "That would be a waste. So tragic that a well strategic fire apparition could become as naïve as a Koorime Ice Maiden…it's just not done." she grinned.

"Now who's speaking like a strategic demon?" he asked after her speech with abnormal huge words that an ice maiden just…no.

"Uh…you?" she smiled in that funny way.

"Uh huh…" he shook his head and rolled his eyes, "Sometimes I wonder if I'm speaking to you as naïve or as smart as Kurama."

"Uh…hehe!" she scratched the back of her head and laughed, "Well…I dunno bout how smart Kurama is to you, but hey! I'm nowhere near it!" she laughed some more.

"No. You're not." he said calmly and saw her hopes plummet to the ground, thinking he would contradict what she just said.

"Huh?" she blinked.

"You are definitely not as smart as Kurama in the mind, however, you are smart in places that Kurama would have no expertise in at this moment."

"Where?"

"In the heart…well, mind of emotions." he grinned.

"Well…I don't know. Kurama is sweet and he can be very thoughtful…"

Hiei didn't like how this conversation was turning out, "And he can be crueler than me or he can be as cut-throat as a mother protecting her young."

Yuki was in her own little world at that moment and was in a daze.

"Well…aren't you going to say anything to that?" he asked, a bit astounded.

"Wait a sec!" she ordered and scratched her head, "I'm trying to think of Kurama as a mother." and she was serious.

Hiei blinked and then cracked up laughing just at the thought of it:

*****Nice country house with white picket fence…

Kurama in an apron and patting the kids on the head, "Have a good day at school!" Then you see Kurama waving and with that corny smiling thing that some anime people do with lower-case n's as eyes.

*********

Hiei was rolling in fits of laughter as Yuki looked at him like he was crazier than her. "Hiei? What I say?" she asked.

"Ahem" he coughed some and gained his posture again, "I'm sorry, that was childish."

"No. I like that." she smiled and caught him off guard. "As long as you can be a child when you are amused, you haven't lost your love of everything." she smiled, "There's still good in you."

"You and my sister are alike." he said and smirked, "Always seeing the good in everyone."

"Not everyone. Just the ones that are good." she winked.

"Hn."

"HIEI! YUKI!" they both to see Keiko standing there, approaching.

"Yes?" Yuki asked, confused at what Keiko would want with them.

"Truth or dare, we're playing. Wanna join?" Keiko smiled.

"Truth or dare?" Hiei asked.

"A human game." Keiko shrugged at Yuki's words.

"Hn."

"I wanna give it a try." Yuki beamed and got up, extending a hand to Hiei. "Come on!"

"Hn?" he hesitated a moment and then grabbed her hand.

***In Hiei's Thoughts****

__

For just a moment…maybe I can forget that I'm a powerful demon…and be a 'fun' and 'gentle' human…hn…

*************

Reviews please…I know, cliché, that Truth or Dare is in the stories everywhere…but I wanted to make this story just a little longer…ja ne!

Reviews please.


	10. Truth or Dare

__

I don't own YYH but I do own Yuki and this ff.

Thanks for the Support!!! I hope you don't disappoint you!

When Fire and Ice Collide

Ch. 10 Truth or Dare

Yuki and Hiei sat next to each other as Kitzuu walked in and sat by Kurama, smiling as he shifted some. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it, "Calm down pup."

Yuki tried her best not to smile as Hiei smirked. "Pup?" he asked in an amused tone.

"Hiei…" Kurama warned.

"HN!" Hiei crossed his arms and then looked over to Yusuke and Keiko as they sat down with Yukina and Kuwabara. Genkai and Botan walked up and looked at them all and then shrugged, sitting down. Koenma (teen) sat next to Botan and she blushed.

"Shall we begin?" Yuki asked and looked at everyone.

"Yes…" Keiko nodded and then looked around, "Who would like to go first?"

"I will." Yusuke said boldly.

"Ok." Keiko smiled and they all looked at Yusuke.

"Kurama…truth or dare?" Yusuke crossed his arms and smirked.

"Truth." Kurama said and smiled.

Yusuke shrugged, "Ok. Are you gay?"

"No." Kurama said without hesitation and then glared at Yusuke for that stupid question.

"Ok. Kurama, your turn." Yukina smiled.

"Hmmm…Yuki." she snapped her head up and looked at him, "Truth or dare?"

"…Dare." she said cautiously.

"Ohhhh! A dangerous girl!" Botan cheered, "She's goin' for the kill!"

"Easy Botan…" Koenma said and patted her hand.

"Yes, Koenma sir…" Botan blushed more.

"Whatcha gonna dare her?" Kuwabara smirked.

Yuki looked at Hiei a little scared and he just shrugged, "You brought this on yourself." Hiei smirked.

"Thanks for the moral support." she said dryly and then looked at Kurama, expectantly.

"Hn." 

"Yuki…" Kurama smiled and she blinked at him. "I dare you to kiss Hiei."

"Wow! It's Spin the Bottle Mixed with Truth or Dare." Keiko smiled.

"…" Yuki gulped and looked over to Hiei who just blinked at her. "I brought this on us both, I guess…"

"Hn…" he said shakily and then leaned towards her as she leaned towards him and they locked into a passionate kiss. They were lost, to put it mildly. Talk about a whirlwind of passion, these two were just oblivious that they had an audience.

"AHEM!" they both parted quickly and looked over to Kitzuu. "It's your turn Yuki." she smirked.

"Oh…yes…" she was stumbling for words and just could not find them for the world. "Um…Yusuke…" 

"DARE!" Yusuke cheered.

Yuki thought for a moment and smiled widely.

"I don't like that look…" Yusuke said and gulped.

"I DARE you to run around the temple in your boxers and shirt, screaming, 'I'm a pansy.'" she giggled as everyone's eyes went wide.

Hiei was drinking some soda and spit it out as he heard it. "HN!?" 

"Sorry…I should dare him something else…" Yuki started.

"Yea! You should!" Yusuke seconded.

"Too bad!" Botan cheered.

Keiko's eyes fluttered as she leaned towards Yusuke, "A dare is a dare…punk." she laughed.

"KEIKO?! WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU?!" Yusuke yelled.

"You didn't tell me when you went on that one…mission…" Keiko pointed out.

"The Saint Beasts?! But you--"

"Not that one, Yusuke." Keiko shook her head.

"You were at the dark tournament!" Yusuke whined.

"THE OTHER ONE!" Keiko yelled.

"You mean that one where Yusuke had to pose for playgirl and then he had to go to jail because he was too young and met this one guy named Bubba--" Botan rambled.

"BOTAN!!! YOU SAID YOU'D NEVER BRING THAT UP!" Yusuke yelled.

"Well sorry! But I didn't promise anything!" Botan yelled back.

"So the cat's outta the bag…" Kurama chuckled.

"I'll send you there!" Yusuke pointed his finger at the fox demon.

"I don't think you would have the slightest chance at doing that." Kurama crossed his arms.

"YUSUKE!!!!!!!!!!!!" Botan cried and they all looked at her, "You have to do your dare!"

"That's right." Yuki smiled and edged away from Yusuke as he approached her. Hiei held Yuki in one arm to his side and growled. "Um…" she would have said something but chose not to.

"HIEI! LEMME AT HER!" Yusuke prepared his spirit gun.

Hiei stood up and looked up to Yusuke, "I dare you."

"You can't Hiei!" Keiko cried and they all looked at her, "He's been dared and we can't go on until he goes!"

"Fine!" Yusuke crossed his arms, "I suggest we all quit playing because I'm not going to do that!"

"COWARD!" Yuki cried and stood up behind Hiei, almost hidden by him. "WOULD YOU JUST PLAY! LIFE IS NOT A GAME BUT THIS IS! DON'T CONFUSE IT!" she gasped and her hands covered her mouth.

Hiei's lips twitched, "It seems I am rubbing off on her…"

"I'm sorry…"

"No…don't be, Yuki." Yukina spoke up, "You have a point."

"YEA!" Kuwabara cheered, "URAMESHI! QUIT BEING A PUNK AND DO YOUR DARE! YOU WANTED ONE! YOU CAN'T CHICKEN OUT NOW!" 

"SHUT UP!" Yusuke yelled.

"Yusuke Urameshi…" Koema said and lifted a brow, "If you do not do it, I will take your life away again."

"WHAT?!" Yusuke cried.

"Well…" Botan taunted.

"FINE!" Yusuke took off his shoes, socks, pants, and over shirt and started to walk out the door.

"WAIT!" Keiko cried and he turned, hoping she'd spare him. She walked up and mussed his hair, "THERE! PERFECT!" 

"Thanks a lot." he said sarcastically and started running around the temple, "I'M A PANSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M A PANSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

All of a sudden the alley cats came out of nowhere and started attacking him. The gang laughed as Hiei and Kurama shook their heads and smirked. 

"Looks like they didn't want him taking their jobs!" Botan giggled.

Yuki and Yukina looked at each other and then busted out laughing. Hiei looked over to the two and smiled inside, 'Yukina has not laughed like that since she was young…'

"Hiei…perhaps you should go and save Yusuke before he's Whiskas (I do not own Whiskas…but my cat does! Lol) for the neighborhood cats." Kurama pointed as there was a huge cloud of dust and you can see Yusuke's arms and feet sticking out as cats went in circles around him.

"I suppose…but I will leave him be for a few more moments." Hiei crossed his arms, "He deserves it."

"Why?" Yuki came over and looked at him oddly.

"Because he tried to attack you." Hiei said coolly and was surprised when Yuki smiled.

"Thank you." she said and then continued, "But I'd like to continue the game…"

"Very well-" Hiei cut his sentence short as he ran into the dust and grabbed Yusuke and dragged him out quickly. He turned his true demon form and turned to the cats and growled.

The cats ran away, frightened for their lives. "Hn." he muttered and looked at Yusuke as he changed back to his human form. A cat was hanging on Yusuke's ear by it's teeth. 

Yuki smiled and reached up and put her fingers in the middle of the teeth and pressed down on the jaw. The cat's teeth dislodged and she set the cat down and watched it run off. "There." 

"Hn." Hiei walked after Yuki and she walked after the cat-attacked-pansy-screaming-half naked-Yusuke.

"Well that was amusing." Kurama shook his head.

"SEE! I TOLD YOU HE WAS GAY!" Yusuke whined.

Botan pulled out her oar and hit Yusuke over the head. "MORON!" she yelled.

"Yes, Yusuke…he's with Kitzuu." Keiko said.

"I bet it's a phony!" Yusuke muttered.

Keiko walked up with his clothes, "Yusuke, will you please get dressed? We have company-"

*snicker*

*cackles*

*laughs*

*smirks*

Everything you can think of was going around the room as her face turned crimson. "I…I didn't mean--"

"That's quite amusing. Yusuke, you and Keiko are finally an item?" Kuwabara leaned up to Yusuke's ear and whispered, "So how far have you gone?"

*thud*

*whack*

*bang*

"SPIRIT GUN!!!!" Yusuke blasted Kuwabara around the world, literally. "WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING, YOU IDIOT!"

In the corner of the scene you can see Kuwabara in pain and mangled as Yukina is trying to heal him. "You shouldn't have teased him so much." Yukina said quietly, "What did you say to make him so mad?"

Hiei paled and then squeezed the heck out of something without realizing it until he heard a yipe. Looking over, he saw that he had Yuki's hand but she wasn't shooing it away and then she looked over to him.

"What's wrong?" 

"Hn." he let go and crossed his arms, closing his eyes.

"It's Yusuke's turn to pick someone." Yuki said, changing the subject, aware that Hiei didn't want to answer her.

Yusuke was busy battling Keiko over his shirt. "GIMME THAT!"

"NO! YOU GOTTA PUT ON YOUR OTHER SHIRT FIRST!" Keiko screamed back.

"NOT UH!"  


"YEA HUH!"

"NOT UH! NOW KEIKO! GIMME MY SHIRT!" Yusuke reached over and lost his balance falling on her. "Well…this is unexpected…" he said as his hand drifted up her skirt.

"YUSUKE! YOU JERK!" she slapped him across the face and sent him into the opposite wall.

"And I thought…well, let's just say there are worse ones out there." Yuki bowed her head and Hiei looked over as her lips formed a frown, hidden to others by how her hair fell.

"Yusuke seems to be knocked out. Who will go now?" Botan asked.

Hiei didn't make any movement but kept looking out of the corner of his eye to Yuki. She looked up and looked around, seeming to not be bothered by anything anymore. "I don't mind."

"Since Yuki went last, she should go again. She is conscious." Kitzuu pointed out.

"Thank you." Yuki nodded and looked to Genkai, "Genkai?"  


"Yes, brat?" Genkai asked and looked up.

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth." Genkai said.

"Do you really think that Yusuke is strong since Keiko just knocked him out?" Yuki asked.

"Yes because Keiko is using, as you young idiots today call, 'girl power' and adrenaline." Genkai smirked.

"You're turn Genkai." Kurama said.

"Hmmm…Kitzuu." Genkai looked to the cat demoness.

"Yes…I will take a dare." Kitzuu said, hoping that Genkai wouldn't make her do anything that she'd hate.

"Go take Kurama to your…hideaway." Genkai nodded and nudged her chin towards a nearby mountain.

"How do you know about that?" Kitzuu asked.

"I just do." Genkai shrugged and pointed to it.

Kitzuu sighed, "Alright…I will go as soon as I get to Yukina."

"Hmmm…truth." Yukina said.

"Do you really not know who your brother is?" Kitzuu asked.

"No." Yukina said without hesitation.

"Alright." Kitzuu smiled, "Don't worry. He may turn up unexpectedly." Kitzuu bowed, got up and dragged Kurama to the mountain.

"Hmm…I wonder what that had to do with anything." Yukina thought.

"Who knows?" Yuki shrugged and passed a glance at Hiei. "Your turn Yukina."

Yukina turned to Hiei, "Hiei?"

"Truth." he said and looked over to her and then away.

Yukina said finally, "I have heard you and Kurama talk some over the years…" she paused as she got a shocked look from him, "Do you really know who my brother is?"

Hiei hesitated and then nodded, "Yes. I will not lie to you."

"Then…who?" Yukina asked.

Sensing Hiei's stress, Yuki butted in, "Not uh, Yukina…your turn is up." she smiled innocently and Hiei was relieved and Yukina nodded.

"Forgive me. I will wait till my next turn." Yukina bowed.

"Why would the shrimp know?!" Kuwabara asked, blinking.

Yuki sent a little message in her eyes to Genkai and she nodded. Genkai got up and hit Kuwabara on the head, knocking him out. "Oh shit…my bad. I didn't realize that he was there."

Kuwabara: X.X

"Yukina…" Botan started, "Perhaps you should take care of Kuwabara in the other room."

"Yes. I believe you are right, Botan." Yukina said and Keiko helped her move the oaf into the other room where they sat there and talked.

"My, my, my…" Genkai faked a yawn, "It seems that an old lady like me needs more rest than I used to. I'll turn in." Genkai nodded to everyone and left. 

Botan, sensing that her and Koenma were company, nudged him in the side. "Ah…yes, me and Botan have some things to attend to. Even though it was very nice to see you all again, we must leave." Koenma stood and helped Botan up.

She blushed and Yuki smiled. "And what 'things' would that be?" she asked.

Botan blushed even more. "Uh…"

"I need to do my paperwork." Koenma said, a bit bristled.

"Uh huh…marriage paperwork…" Yuki muttered.

"YUKI!" Botan screeched and then looked at the glow to Koenma's cheeks, making note that even he could get embarrassed. "I am very sorry about her rudeness, Lord Koenma…" she stopped as he looked down at her.

"You don't need to apologize to me for anyone's rudeness, Botan." he said and grabbed her shoulder, nodding to the others and they both disappeared.

"Well that was strange…" Hiei said quietly.

"No. It's called matchmaking." she rolled her eyes heavenward. "I see they do this a lot…" she said in a matter-of-fact way.

"Hn…" he paused and then sighed, "Stupid Idiots."

"Yea, yea, yea…" she sighed and started to lean back to lay down when his hand stopped her by resting on her shoulder. "Hiei?" she asked and looked at him strangely.

"I need to show you something…and give it you at the same time." he said and stood up, extending his hand to her.

"Do you really need to?" she asked, grasping his hand as he pulled her up. She came up so fast she couldn't stop herself from crashing into his chest. 

He looked down at her with a slight flicker in his red eyes, "No, but I want to." he said and pulled away, walking out of the temple. She followed closely but not too close for this was Hiei. He didn't like to be close to anyone at all.

"Hiei?" she asked and he tilted his head up so she knew he was listening. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"To the pond." he simply said and walked a bit more until he was standing right there by the glistening water as the moon shimmered off of it.

"Wow…it's beautiful." Yuki approached and looked out at the water. 

Hiei looked over to her now glowing eyes. The ones that held the misty periwinkle as it glistened with it's usual ice blue color. They were so alive and full of curiosity. He sighed and looked to a tree.

"Hiei?" he heard her voice and turned to face her. "What did you want to show me?"

He looked away again and then dug into his coat, pulled out a long silver box with a ribbon on it and handed it to her.

She gasped and undid the ribbon slowly enough to make him become impatient. 'I wonder if she wants it…will she be upset?' 

She looked at the gift and was speechless. In the box were her tear gems in a necklace with a lock. They were strung together on a silver chain and she smiled up at him as her fingers drifted unconsciously against the jewels.

"If it had been gold, it would not have blended with them." she said quietly and he nodded. "Thank you, Hiei."

His questions were answered. She loved the gift and she wasn't upset. She was so happy and he was satisfied that he made her smile for something so small. "The gems belong to you. No one should take them away." he said silently.

"Hiei…" she paused and looked from the gems to his gaze, "You…this is why you collected the gems. From the very beginning?" she asked.

"I wasn't sure what I was to do with them in the beginning." he admitted, "But I would not have sold them." he bit out angrily, recalling how Yukina was kidnapped for that very purpose.

"I know." she said and caught his attention again, "I knew when I saw you that you were not interested in money."

"I am a thief."

"You WERE a thief." she pointed out. "You don't steal anymore…" she paused, "Or perhaps I am wrong?"

"No. I do not steal anymore."

She sighed, "You were a thief since the day you were thrown off the cliff." she looked down, avoiding his gaze.

"I was?" he asked. It was clear he didn't understand.

"Yes. You stole my curiosity." she said absentmindedly.

"I did not mean to." he said, cursing himself for being so selfish.

"It's alright." she said and looked up to him, her eyes glistening with tears threatening to fall. "Hiei--" she started and he looked at her strangely, "When I first saw you here in Ningenkai…you stole everything." she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked, bewildered.

"My dreams, my hopes--"

"He stole your dreams." he emphasized 'he.'

"No. He tried to." she said and then he really started to look at the emotions showing in her eyes, "Since I saw you here, I dreamt of what life must have been like for you. I can't remember when I had a decent dream that didn't involve you." she said truthfully.

"You shouldn't have wasted those moments on me." he said.

"I know you keep telling me that but I don't see things your way. I want to know you. I want to be your friend…at least…" she ended in a whisper.

"You are my friend." he said finally after a few moments of silence.

"Friends are a crutch for the weak to you though--" she said and choked back a sob.

He held out his hand and tipped her chin up, studying her eyes. "That was before I met you and I don't want to lose you to some demon who wants to kill you."

"Hiei…" she placed a hand on his wrist and smiled, "You'll never lose me. I'm always here."

"But for how long?" he asked.

"As long and as much as you want." she whispered and was aware that he started to lean in on her.

He, however, didn't realize it. It was the first time that someone had ever told him that he could have something or someone for as long or as much as he wanted. He smirked at the thought. 

When he realized he was leaning too close to her, it was too late. He descended on her and kissed playfully along her lips. She almost laughed at Hiei being playful. It just wasn't him, not the serious Hiei that she knew. But she didn't care, she liked him any way he was.

He pulled away and then tried to step back but his legs were just not working. It was then that he learned that her arms had slid around his waist. "Hiei?" she asked.

His eyes, usually stoic and not telling anything about him, now showed so many emotions, she thought she would become dizzy just looking at them. "Yuki…" he said and licked his lips. "Did you mean that you would only be my friend until I didn't want it?"

"…" she didn't know how to respond, "Hiei, I'd cross any amount of distance for you if you wanted me to."

"I wouldn't ask that from you." he said, trying to regain his composure.

"I know." she said and then leaned against him, her face barely resting on his shoulder as he took in her scent. She smelt of Mirth and roses. They blended in and teased his nose. He then smelt his scent on hers, tainted. He couldn't believe he could do such a thing. She was her own scent and he had tainted it with his own. He pulled back but she held tight. "Hiei…" she said and looked at him.

"I'm sorry. I cannot be around you."

"Why not?" she asked, confused. Did he really hate her that much?

Sensing the danger around him, he tried to pull away more. Knowing that she was in danger really pissed him off and he wanted to be caught on guard, not wrapped in her arms, no matter how good it felt. 

"I will taint whatever good you are…" he said stoically and looked down at her questioning eyes.

"Hiei…" she smiled, "You already rubbed off on me. I can't believe some of the things I say now." 

"I must leave now." Hiei tried to pull back, but he couldn't imagine the tears she'd cry if he succeeded. So he pretended to pull back so she thought her arms were the things that stopped him. Of course, if she was not so naïve, she would have realized that no matter how hard you hang on to someone, you can't hold their heart unless they want you to.

"Hiei, please." she begged and clung to him. He closed his eyes and let her rest her bowed head against his chest.

"Yuki--" he paused. He was almost ready to cling back to her and tell her how much he loved her. How much he wanted to have only her. How long he would wait for her. How long and how far he'd go to protect her and make her happy. But those words didn't come out. "Please…don't worry about me." he said and pulled away, pushing her aside and glaring at the forest. 

A demon who was watching them walked out and looked down at Hiei. The demon was a giant. More like a huge lizard. A dragon no less but when Yuki saw it, she screamed. The dragon looked at her and flashed his teeth. 

Hiei panicked as the dragon stepped towards Yuki. Hiei went for his sword and then paused for a moment as something slid over his coat. He reached up and his eyes widened. She had slipped the necklace around his neck while she held him, somehow…

She watched in horror as the dragon came back at her and raised it's paw. She let out a blood-curdling screech and snapped Hiei's attention back to her. He raced as fast as he could and skidded to a halt in front of her as the paw, claws and all came crashing down towards him…

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Uh oh?! Hiei to die? What will happen? Find out next time on YYH!

REVIEWS PLEASE

kage1586


	11. Forever Yours

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I don't own YYH but I do own Yuki and this ff.

When Fire and Ice Collide

Ch. 11 Forever Yours

Hiei braced himself for the impact and held his sword up right. Yuki watched on in horror as the claws came towards her friend, her love. 

In a sudden flash of blue light, there was a barrier that spread from the necklace that Hiei had tried to give Yuki. The barrier blasted the dragon back and it recoiled, preparing to strike again.

Hiei turned to see Yuki floating in the air upright, her head had fell back and she seemed to just hang on nothing at all. A blue light was radiating from her form to the necklace as he saw a beam of it touch the gems.

'Yuki…' his mind could not think of anything else as he watched as her body radiated more energy to him. In another flash of white light this time, he ran towards her, shielding his eyes and squinting to find her. 

He saw her form fall towards the ground and held out his arms, catching her light body and falling to his knees to examine her. He brushed her bangs back some, "Yuki? Yuki…" his heart was pumping as he felt her pulse. 

There was a slight one but it may not last too much longer if he didn't get her help. But he couldn't leave and find Yukina, bringing that beast with him. He wouldn't endanger her like that and he wouldn't endanger his comrades like that.

So he made his decision and took her behind a nearby tree as the white light still blinded the dragon. He laid her down and brushed her bangs back again, "Do not worry about me." he said as soft as Hiei could ever possibly go and then left her side, coming out of the white light, the barrier for her he supposed. 

To the dragon, looks weren't too deceiving. As it looked over to the white light, it looked as though there was a dark figure stepping out. As it stopped, it looked like a guardian, a protector who would go to any means of protecting what was in the white light.

And it was…Hiei. A shadow who swore to protect not only his sister and friends, but also Yuki. He swore in his mind that he'd never let anything bad happen to her again as soon as this was done.

The dragon, not amused, swished it's tail and snapped it's teeth to Hiei. Flexing it's claws, it growled as if saying, "Come on."

Hiei had his sword in one hand as the other untied the bandanna from his forehead. His Jagan Eye began to glow as he spoke, "Since there will most likely be a time when I am also facing the white light, I will need more than just my eyes. I can see that you are having problems by how you constantly blink."

The dragon seemed to understand and growl more, waiting and watching as Hiei moved stealthy around in the white light and then unleashed his speed, attempting to make this fight as fast as possible.

The dragon, reading his moves, swiped it's tail at Hiei, knocking him in the stomach and knocking him to the ground. "Damn…" he muttered and stood up again. 'I have to figure out a way to kill it…' he thought for a moment as he watched the patient dragon.

'Hiei…' Hiei's head snapped in the direction to Yuki to find she was still laying there, not moving at all. His Jagan Eye showing him what his sight could not, showing that her lips were not even moving. 

'I thought I heard her voice…' he thought and shook his head, only to be greeted by her voice again.

'Hiei…' it was stronger than the last time and he stood up straight.

"Yuki…" he said quietly.

'Hiei…' she said and it was clear that she took time to smile. He could sense it. Whether it was because of the necklace that had her chi in it or just a friendly bond, he knew she smiled, but he didn't know why. 'Hiei…you must not kill her.' 

Hiei was dumbfounded. "Her? The dragon?" he asked outloud and the dragon seemed to understand and growled more.

'Yes…the dragon.' Yuki's voice grew weaker every time she used her powers to go into his mind. She knew he'd 'hear' her as she connected with her necklace. And because the Jagan Eye was so powerful, she knew he'd hear her, sense her, feel her.

"But…the dragon is to kill you. I will not allow it." he said in an arrogant tone.

She giggled in his mind. 'Hiei…she will not.' she said faintly.

"How are you so sure?" Knowing that she was growing weaker, feeling it in his chest, how it churned every time she spoke fainter. He didn't want her to suffer. If he could reverse their health places, he'd do so in an instant.

'She…is a mother…' Yuki said finally and Hiei stilled at the thought. 'She will do anything to protect…her young.'

"But she came at us!" Hiei growled and the dragon snarled, showing it's teeth.

'No…we came to her. We did not sense her and her young…' she took some deep breaths, 'Hiei…come back.'

"Come back where?" Hiei asked, "I don't belong anywhere."

'Yes…you do.' she said and it was clear that he should not fight with her much more. She couldn't do it anymore.

He bowed his head, gave the 'mother' one last look and then sheathed his sword, backing away.

The dragon seemed to understand more, sensing that Hiei was not one to kill a mother of young, somehow bowed her head and turned towards the forest again. 

Hiei was about to turn around when he heard Yuki's voice, 'Hiei…look.' she said and he felt her smile again as he turned back towards the dragon, now surrounded by her young. Three little dragonettes were walking up as they blew out puffs of smoke, as in thanking him.

Hiei gave a true warm smile. The one that you know comes straight from the heart. He found out right there that just because it happens to you, don't take it out on anyone else. He frowned at the thought. His mother…

'Hiei…she tried to save yo--' Yuki's voice trailed off and suddenly Hiei was at her side, picking up her light body. 

"Yuki?" he asked and checked her pulse. He didn't know how weak her body had gotten speaking to him until now. He figured out why she had been short-winded, how she tried to tell him what really mattered in time.

She was using her own life to communicate to him. His heart shattered, at least the part that she had mended. Her heart was the purest thing in her and he almost felt it stop at her pulse line as his finger traced her neck line, trying to not shake. "Yuki…?" he blinked as the necklace around his neck started to glow. 

He set her down and took off the necklace, lifted her up again and snapped it around her neck. For a few minutes, there was nothing and he thought he lost her. He was thrown into a pit of despair to be eaten alive by the demons of demon world. 

"Hi…" he looked towards her lips as they were closed. He didn't know if he had imagined it or if he really heard her speak. He wasn't fooled by his mind, he figured as she spoke again, "Hi…ei?" 

"Yuki…" he said quietly and held her up more, "Are you okay?" 

"Hi…ei…" she said a bit more louder this time.

He smirked, "I'm glad you know my name, snow princess." he said.

She opened her eyes weakly and then looked up at his red ones. He couldn't remember the last time he was so happy to see her eyes shine back at him. Her ice blue orbs just shimmering as the white light died down.

"I'm glad to, fire prince." she smiled and breathed heavily.

"What were you saying, who tried to save who?" he asked finally, recalling her previous words.

Yuki shook her head and Hiei brought her up a bit more and cradled her in his arms, "Your mother. She tried to stop them…she did."

Hiei sighed, "I know…but she didn't and being a coward, killed herself."

"Hiei…" Yuki frowned, "Do you really think of her as a coward? She went up against her own people for you. The one that would most likely bring hell to Koorime. She tried so hard to save you, it was so sad and heartbreaking to watch--"

"Yuki…she killed herself. She left Yukina alone." Hiei snorted.

"She did not." she sighed and leaned into Hiei more, "She left Yukina with me and my mother. She did not intend to leave Yukina alone."

"Yukina was still alone." 

"Was she really?" she asked, searching his face. "You were the boy in the trees, were you not?"

"How…"

"Weren't you?" she pried.

"Hn…" after looking at her glare, he nodded.

"She was never alone. You were always there watching out for her."

"You were there as the friend…" he said, learning the logic.

"You see, she didn't leave her alone. She loved Yukina and she loved you. If she was still alive and saw you again, she'd love you just like the day you were born. I'm sure of it."

"Do…do you think so?" he asked, searching her eyes.

Her hand cupped his cheek, "I know so."

"When you spoke to me…in my mind…" he said and looked down and then stared back at her again, "I thought I was dead. I thought that the dragon had killed me as you spoke…but when you told me to leave her be, there was something wrong. Something telling me that you were speaking on a different level of friendship."

By the blush on Yuki's face, he knew he hit the spot. "I'm sorry…I should not have interfered." she said quietly and he stiffened.

"Had you not interfered…" he traced her cheek, "I would have killed a mother of three. A mother who only wanted to protect her young. I would never have lived with myself had that happened."

"Hiei, I only did it because you would not want it wished upon anyone." she said and smiled. "I didn't want you to blame yourself for such a deed."

"Thank you." Hiei mumbled but she heard it. She may not have said anything to him but he could see it in her eyes that she had heard him.

"If you want to thank someone, thank yourself." she smiled and caught him off guard.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because had you not saved my life on all those occasions, I would not have been here to stop you." she smiled and he smirked at her.

"But had you not searched to find me, I would have killed the dragon." he said.

"But had I never found you, would you be here in this spot at this moment?" she retorted.

He moved in closer and looked into her glowing ice blue eyes. "And had you not come to find me, I would not be in this spot about to kiss you." he said and bent his head down as their lips touched, a fire sparked. It wasn't anything like Hiei's dragon of darkness flame, it was so much deeper.

It soared through their veins as he pulled her closer. One of his hands cupped the back of her head as his other went to the small of her back. For a naïve maiden, she sure was experienced with this. So full of life and happiness but yet, maybe it was just experimenting. 

He knew she wasn't the one to give herself to any guy that wasn't worth her and that made his heart wrench. Was it pity she was giving him? It couldn't be because her arms were looped around his neck as her fingers splayed in his hair by his neckline.

She wasn't using him and he wasn't a toy to her. He knew she felt raw heat in her icy heritaged veins but didn't realize it was from him. He always thought that she was one to be rebellious against her nature, not like him. He was a full fire demon, no ice blood in him and so he could not be rebellious to it. But she was. She didn't care what the others thought of her as long as she believed in herself. He loved her for that. Yes, he admitted to himself that if there was one that he'd consider a mate, it was Yuki, his ice princess.

As if she was reading his thoughts, she pulled away. Though her lips were still tingling from the recent contact with his, she had to see his eyes. They were in a whirlpool of confusion and many more emotions that she didn't know Hiei could show in his eyes.

She knew he had those emotions, he just didn't ever show them. She wanted him to open up to her but on his own record. She didn't want to force him but somehow she must have. He would not have opened up so quickly and then told her things that he never told anyone else.

But, for some reason, she got into his defenses. She was like a little weasel that got into the chicken coop. She didn't realize what she was doing until now. She had gotten into his heart and gave him hers. And for some unknown reason, she must have taken his with her like a weasel taking its prize.

She didn't like comparing herself to a weasel but at least she was like Hiei. A thief. A thief that stole her heart was holding her captive in his arms. But she didn't care at all. She loved the feeling of security that he gave her and she smiled, letting him know that she was proud to be with him and if anyone else came and saw them like this, she wouldn't pull away.

He seemed to get the message as he tightened his grip around her, "Yuki…" he whispered and she looked up. 

She was almost bewildered and shocked that Hiei had a way of saying her name without scorning her or just talking to her. This tone of voice had more seduction than anything. She felt so safe in that moment that even if Armageddon was to come, she'd live if he kept holding her like this.

"Yes?" she said finally.

"Why?" 

"Why what?" she asked and lifted a brow.

"Why me?" he said as though he was the lowest scum of the realms.

"Because I knew." she said quietly.

"You knew what?" he asked, tightening his grasp on her subconsciously.

She smiled and stood on tip toes and whispered. Trying to keep herself on her toes was hard since she never had a reason to do so before so he picked her up slightly and she giggled. Enma, how he loved the sound of her laughter.

She leaned down, resting her hands on his shoulders and whispered, "I knew when I first saw you as a wee babe that it was meant."

He startled and set her down, a tornado of confusion showered his red eyes. "I don't understand."

"You see, Hiei." she paused and then went on, "When I looked at you and saw your eyes, I knew you weren't like the rest of us. You're eyes were so much more…I really don't know how to describe them. But I knew." she said and then looked away.

"Yuki. I'm not following." he said sadly.

She looked at him, "I may be the most naïve maiden or whatever out there but I knew when I saw you that I was destined to find you. It was in the fates that we would meet again. When the maidens said that you fell to your death, I didn't believe them because I knew deep down that you were still alive. Had you died, I would have known." 

"That's why your necklace…" he started and saw her nod.

"Because of my deep feelings for you, I could protect you with the chi and I could talk to you in your mind. Because I could reach you, I could tell you what to do and I know you'd listen. Not to be dominant in your mind or anything--"

"Don't do it again." he said firmly and she stopped in mid sentence.

"Hiei?" she asked, almost scared of the answer.

He smirked down at her as if telling her that it was a joke, "Don't tell me what to do again and expect me to listen." he clarified.

"Oh…" she started and then smiled cheerfully, "Alright, I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to kill the dragon." she grinned.

"And I didn't want anything to harm you at all. It seems you are much more successful in your wants." he said dryly.

She sighed, "Hiei…" she said and he looked down at her, "It doesn't matter now." she smiled.

"OH WOULD YOU TWO JUST KISS AND SAY HOW MUCH YOU LOVE EACH OTHER!" Botan cried and Koenma, teenage form, popped out and covered her mouth.

"Do not mind her." he said and disappeared. "BOTAN!" he yelled as they were in the spirit realm, "DON'T DO THAT! IT WAS GETTING TO THE GOOD PART!"

"Sorry Lord Koenma!" Botan bowed quickly and her ponytail hit Koenma in the face.

"OW!" he cried and held his nose. 

"Ohh! Sorry!" Botan said as she started to stand up as Koenma leaned down because of the pain.

Koenma opened his eyes as Botan opened her eyes and they blinked as their eyes were right in alignment with each other. Botan blushed as Koenma's eyes grew wide. 

~*~ Back to Yuki and Hiei ~*~

Yuki and Hiei were left blinking as Botan and Koenma left again. "I'm so afraid." Yuki said blankly.

"Hn…" Hiei nodded and then looked towards the forest, "A new moon is coming."

"A new beginning." she smiled and he looked down at her and nodded, again agreeing with her.

"Yes."

"Hiei?" he lifted a brow as she smiled more, "You're hair…there is this one spot that isn't right." she said and pointed.

For the next five minutes, all you can see is Hiei putting his hands over his head and feeling for the out-of-place-hair. He growled and leaned towards her. "You put it back in place!"

She smiled and as he knelt down some because of his high hair, she reached to the side of his face. She tucked a strand of hair that had somehow fell in front of his ear up into the rest of his hair and smiled.

"Hn."

She smiled more and pulled out a cloth from her kimono. He looked at her with curiosity. She opened the cloth and pulled out a small gem. This one wasn't blue like her tears but more of a reddish purple. She pulled it out and a silver chain was attached to it. She handed it to him. "This is yours."

He tilted his head and sighed, "I don't want it."

"Too bad." She smiled and stuffed it in his hand.

He looked at it and then back at her, "But I don't want it."

"Too bad." she said again.

He smirked and leaned close to her ear, "I want you, not a necklace."

She smiled, "This necklace was my mother's." 

He pulled back in shock and looked at the necklace. 

"She was unique and cried different tears. She was often ridiculed because she was so different. That's why she didn't care to tell Yukina and I about you."

He nodded and then smirked, "I will cherish it then."

She smiled and then pulled the hair that had fallen again close to her. Their faces were barely touching when she whispered, "If you want me then I am forever yours."

"Hn." he said and kissed her passionately as he held her. 

The WHOLE gang came out and then there was a huge AWWWWWWWWWWWWW. Hiei and Yuki jumped up at the same time and chased everyone around all night and for about a month until they caught each one and pummeled them.

~*~ The End ~*~

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REVIEWS PLEASE: If you review, I will put your review up on another page with the others. So if you want it to have you're name, review soon! Thank you so much for everything! 

kage1586


	12. Thanks!

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Reviewers over the Chaps!

Ch. 1

Dark Dragon34 : continue this is REALLY good

AN: Thank you so much!!! I like the emphasis on 'Really'

yuki san1 : GREAT CHAPPIE! Please continue! BUH-BYE ^.~

AN: Yuki-san has been with me a long time so thank you so much.

Anonymous: whore!

AN: *sigh* If you have to say such things…AT LEAST SIGN IT SO I CAN GIVE YOU A PIECE OF MY MIND AS WELL!!!

Youkai Goddess : I like this story! But there is one little mistake you made, Hiei and Yukina have red eyes not brown. Just wanted to point that out. Anyway update soon!^_^

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AN: Ah, yes. Youkai Goddess-such a great one at that! Been through the toughest things with me and my stories. ^_^;; maybe just the stories so far…but that may change one day. Thanks so much. And as you can see, I did change that about their eyes.

Icewolfdemon: Hey, I loved it please continue soon.

AN: Wow! IceWolfDemon, I've been to the website and I loved it! You all should give IceWolfDemon a shout out or something! *smiles* YAY!

Dr. Hannah : ^.^ yay! kool! well, meh, IIalways thought it was yoko kurama. That's what the other fics had, maybe that's the Japanese name. hey, I heard of Yuki somewhere, some other fic, with yukina and a school and this weird kid. meh.

AN: *smiles* Sorry, Dr. Hannah, I actually looked up snow in a Japanese dictionary and I thought it would be neat to have the race of demons that set him off be the kind he'd fall in love with. Cute, yes? About Yohko Kurama…in the manga, Yohko is a spirit fox with about nine tails, determining on how advanced they are, or something along those lines. His demon name is Kurama but his human name is Shuiichi. That's the anime lesson for today! LOL.

Kay-san1 : kage-dono kage-dono! this is so adorable! this is such a sweet story! and i love how u have that whole thing where yuki and yukina r so alike. its adorable. i cant wait for more kage-dono! this is a very nice story and covers lots of emotions! very VERY good job and i cant wait for more!

AN: Aw, thanks Kay-san! That's so sweet! She's been with me with me a lot in my stories! Hey, Kay-san? Did you know my real middle name is Kay? Coincidence? I think not. ^_^;

Nami the Tomb Robber: What a cute little story! ^-^ i like it already!

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AN: Nami, thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad you liked it in just the first chap! 

Bakufun-13 : HIEI HAS RED EYES! That is one of the thinks that makes him so adorable and cute and tough looking all at the same time! ...Oh yeah, good story, keep going ^_^

AN: *sigh* sorry SORRY SORRY! LOL! I get it, please! Don't bite my head off or eat me?! I changed it! I'm really, really, truly, truly sorry! Yes…he is cute and tough looking…gotta love him.

Ken no Kakera : Very good, baby! Yuki and Hiei aren't related, are they? I hope not, cuz I want them to get together...

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AN: *sigh* NO--Hiei and Yuki are NOT related! Thank you for bringing that to my attention. Yuki, as you can read in the last chap, had a strange mother who cried reddish purple gems. Because of this, I made Yuki and Hiei both kinda like outcasts. But, their families did not mix at all, let me just clear that up.

Sango=ss: Good chapter! Extremely interesting!

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AN: thank you so much! It's nice to see an Inuyasha fan here and there with a name that shows it!

Sango=ss: Yippy good good good chapter There R no words to express this overwelming happiness! hehehe I love being a drama queen

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AN: Um…you replied twice to the same chap but that's alright! I love the extra reviews! And may I just say, you are a great drama queen. I'm sure there are words to describe my stories.

Ch. 2

Youkai Goddess : YAY! That was a nice chappie! Whats goin' to happen next?! Please update soon!^_^

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AN: You know…I'm so glad that you ppl stay with me for so long. It does a lot for my esteem…yea, okay, psychology go bye bye! NOW! *smiles* thanks Youkai Goddess!

Kay-san1 : ai! kage-san! oh oh oh that was so great! my my i wonder whatever shall happen to yuki? no, really, i'm very curious to know. but omg that was funny when they fell down the hill! bwahahahaha!! *sweatdrops* erm, sorry 'bout that...anywayz, great chappie! i cant wait for more kage-san!

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Lol, thank you so much Kay-san! Hehe, you're a curious one, ain't cha? 

Sango=ss : O very exciting And unlike most fanfiction authors your chaps R actually long! Yeah!

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AN: yes…in word, I try to at least write 10 pages, maybe even more in Tahoma font 14.

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Ch. 3

icewolfdemon : I LOVE IT! PLEASE UPDATE

AN: Thanks again Ice Wolf Demon!

Youkai Goddess : O! This just keeps getting interesting! Hurry up with the next chapter! I wanna know what happens next! Luv ur story!^_^

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AN: Wow! Thanks! Interesting?! Spooky!

Kay-san1 : aw! she went and put the blanket over him. thats so sweet! i cant wait to see what comes next! kage-san this is such a totally adorable story! write more asap cuz im dyin to know what comes next!

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AN: *smiles* Yes…I had to do the blanket. Adorable…that's so cute! Don't die because of my story, please?! I wuv you! …Not like that. Sorry.

Sango=ss : Normally I don't like romance but this is good! ~_^

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AN: Aws! Sango! Thanks so much! I'm glad you like this romance!

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Ch. 4

Sango=ss : Yeah rebelious Yuki! Keep her like this please and keep her suprising hiei please!

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AN: *smiles* She surprises him a lot, doesn't she?

Ken no Kakera : Update soon! This is one of my favorite Hiei/OC pairing stories!

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AN: Thanks! I'm glad it's one of your faves!

Crystal (crystal2bme@aol.com): Hey. Hm...what to say... I know. I don't usually read these kinds of fanfics...*Puppy jumps on key board, She's lying...she's lying...lying...* *Crystal grabs puppy off keyboard* Ahem, right. As I was saying before I got interrupted, I don't always read many of these, but from what I've read so far this story's really good, you've got my interest. I hope ya update soon. Well, if ya need help with fanfics or want to talk, feel free to email me, kay? ~_~  
Gotta go!  
See ya later,  
Crystal

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AN: Thanks so much Crystal. Cute puppy. ^_^

Mmmmmmm : I like it I beg you to write more!

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AN: Mew? Thanks so much…but you really didn't have to beg.

Youkai Goddess : *claps* That was such a great chapter! I know this is too soon to ask but when will they confess to each other?! Hurry up and update the next chapter!^_^  
Luv this story!^_^

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AN: wow! Applause too?! Well, Youkai Goddess, they confessed at the very end of the very last chap…I had to make you all wait. I love suspense, don't you?

Kay-san1 : oh my, kage-san! that was great! no, better than great! totally completely awesome! so sweet. but that part, when he called her that, and that part and all, oh i couldnt even breath! i was afraid i'd fog up the screen forever, that i was! so i jus' wanted ta let ya know that i loved it an' i hope ya write some more soon!

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AN: lol, yea…the name calling is a plus

icewolfdemon : Hey, Kage, I love it, please continue as soon as possible.

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AN: Thanks! I tried to keep it going quickly!

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Ch. 5

Kay-san1 : kage-san! ie! kawaii! i mean, kawaii in an angsty, depressing way, but ya know what i mean. i'm writting more of 'not what they seem' right now, great chappie, and ttyl!

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AN: *smiles* Thanks Kay-san! Wow! Cute and angst…yay!

Saelbu : I like this a lot please update soon.

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AN: Thanks a lot Saelbu!

Youkai Goddess : OMG! Poor Yuki! Why'd ya have to kill her? Is she comin' back?  
And why is everyone acting so calm? Update soon, soon, soon!

AN: CALM DOWN! My plans for this story was to get Hiei and Yuki together, not hurt them forever!

Sango=ss : No fair! Why can't I write such a good story. I think I have more stability than U, but that might be my problem!

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AN: Sango…if you need help with writing the story, you can contact me and I'll give you some pointers…of course I never listen to my own words. Just think of something odd and unusual…then throw caution to the wind!

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Ch. 6

Sango=ss : Yippy sappy romance. ~I'm being sarcastic here!~ A little more comedy or slashing with sword please! But otherwise good chapter! And a little romance is good sometimes ~emphasis on the little~

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AN: *smiles* so Sango goes for the kill. Sorry bout the romance, but that was a choice in my story but I hope you don't mind too much.

Saelbu : Aw how sweet, write again soon.

AN: *smiles* Thanks!

Kay-san1 : oh that is so sweet! yuki-san that is adorable! what a great chappie that was!

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AN: Wow…I think many of you thought it was sweet!

Ken no Kakera : Yay! Tons o' fluff! Update soon!

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AN: Thanks so much Ken no Kakera! I'm glad you like fluff!

Youkai Goddess : Aw, that is so beautiful in a "Were not at that part yet" way.  
I know that made completely no sense at all but I'm stupid. *shrugs*  
Update the next chapter soon!^_^

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AN: you're not stupid at all, Youkai Goddess. I bet I can out stupid you any day lol…it's my gift.

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Ch. 7

Sango=ss: EVIL! U write the best stories, I love U ~Not really, but...~

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AN: aws! Thanks, I don't think I write the best stories…check out my fave authors and stories in my profile if you think I'm good.

Kitsune Kida : hey!! this is such a good story. I hope you write more soon, i really really like it. Good job and please update soon. See Ya!!

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AN: Thanks Kitsune! Your name reminds me of Shippou from Inuyasha

Ken no Kakera : Well, I finally got around to reading it. I loved it! They finally got to kiss! Please update soon!

AN: Yea, thanks a lot for the support! Yep…a kiss! lol

Toxic Tears1 : That was so good! Update soon!

AN: Thanks a lot…Are your tears really toxic?

Me:Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!Update!

AN: That's not me so you people aren't confused…and I did update.

Miss Anime Luver : OMG! That was so ... I can't find the right words but it was great!  
And Koku-whats-his-name is alive? Go Hiei! Kick his ass! I mean whoops. Lol! Next chapter, please update soon. ^_^

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AN: lol, Yea…that Koku guy is alive…well, was. HAHA! Cheer some for Yuki too.

Saelbu : Wow that was good, please continue soon.

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AN: *grins* Thanks a lot!

animerocker : okay that was really good but i think you might of accidentally repeated the chapter so any way the story has a really good plot and it's an original oc so please continue 

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AN: Yes I did and I corrected it, thanks! 

Youkai Goddess : Um, I think you repeated chapter 6.

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AN: Yes I know, I straightened that out though.

Kay-san1 : kya! this is so sweet! i love that line 'Well how is that? Yusuke would be the last one to have a nice spirit beast wait no, Hiei. she nodded'. hahaha! well anyways kage this is great. im over the crying about ren and kurama (for the moment). write more soon! 

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AN: Thanks! I love that too. I had to make some humor! There's too much of it in my life not too!

Quvil : Isn't this the same as the previous chapter?

AN: Yes, thanks. I'm sorry bout that

TrU AzN cHiK : Your story is SUPERIOR! My favorite Hiei/OC story I ever read! PLZ update

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AN: Thanks! Wow! I'm so happy! 

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Ch. 8

Saelbu : That was great, update soon. ^_^

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AN: Thanks! 

Raven Ishtar : i love the story! its not like many other romance stories. it has a really great plot!

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AN: Hey, what can I say, Raven? I'm not like many other people. 

Shiro Ryu : I love it! Please continue updating! Soon! 

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AN: Thanks! Mew! 

Anomalies : hey. great story. i really like it. so creative and original. pure genius. is there going to be anymore to this story? love the pairings. who'd of thought the great hiei would fall for one of his own kind? ^-^

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AN: WOW! Thanks! Creative and original? I'm not a genius so…lol! Oh, hell yea there was more! WAIT A SEC! Hiei is NOT an ice demon of any kind! Koorime means ice maiden, that is it. And since Hiei is a male, he CANNOT be an ice maiden of Koorime. Had he not been born of Koorime, he could have ice in him. Since it was Koorime and the Koorime are asexual, the blood was divided equally between Hiei and Yukina. Yukina was the ice maiden and Hiei was EXACTLY like his dad, a fire demon. There is no way he is an ice demon. I read about this stuff in many places. To put it plainly, he is not an ice demon, he is full fire demon. No where in his profile did the creator put in any way he is partially ice demon.

Kay : Great story. Please update soon.

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AN: Kay…thanks so much! I tried to update as soon as possible but sometimes it was really hard to.

Youkai Goddess : *screams in delight* COOL CHAPPIE AND YOU FINALLY UPDATED! ^_^ Wow, I need to collect myself for a moment *takes deep breath*  
Thats better. And aw, Hiei comforting Yuki. CUTE! (I don't know why I'm like this today, must be becuz I just finish taking my English exam) The part were Hiei and Kurama talked about protecting whoever got my mind twisted in the gutter for a bit but I finally got it (Damn, I'm slow) And I think Yuki slapping Hiei was a bit much(half amusing though, Hiei getting slapped *giggle*) but no complaints So...THEY ARE OFFICIALLY A COUPLE NOW! YIPPEE! *jumps up and down and laughs* (I'm way to hyper *grins*) Hurry and update soon! Luv ur story! ^_^

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AN: lol, Hiei comforting? Who'd have thought? I hope you passed the English exam. LOL, Aws, I'm sorry for making your mind go into the gutter. I didn't mean to. We're all slow compared to Hiei, yea? *smiles* Yes, Yuki slapping Hiei was pretty bad however…HOWEVER!!! Remember that she is a bit rebellious and he began to rub off on her through the story so I had to do it. They aren't…officially a couple till the last chap. Everyone should be a wee bit hyper.

Sango=ss : Woho more hopeless romance I'm so happy ~I'm actually not being sarcastic here~ and there is adventure. Now add funny junk and I'll be fine.

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AN: WOW! Thanks Sango! That makes me feel great since you really don't' read stories like this. Thanks so much!

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Ch. 9

Rachael : that was really good, what happened to the wound on his abdomen? is hiei going to get the courage to tell yukina the truth? i hope so *-* please update soon maby yukina could ask a truth question about her brother like do they know about him or is he in the room or stuff like that, anyway please please please update really soon

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AN: Hiei is a demon so he heals faster and read the rest. I'm not telling no one nothing! WAHAHHAHA! 

Ken no Kakera : Woo! Can't wait for the Truth or Dare! I'm sure it'll be hilarious.

AN: *smiles* Thanks so much. I hope it was a good chap too?!

Saelbu : That was great, I really enjoyed it. Update soon. ^_^

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AN: Saelbu, thanks so much! It's great to hear reviews!

Kay-san1 : Oh, you can have so much fun with truth or dare!! Hehe. I can't wait for more!! (ah, i have a picture i found of 'mommy kurama'! i love it!)  
*huggles the pretty-boy fox* ^.^ U know how hiei says hn when he doesnt know what to say? my word is meow. teehee. Meow. GREAT CHAPPIE!

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AN: Aws, Kay-san, that's sweet. Yes…Kurama being mommy…it's wrong but kinda funny to think of. My word is 'Mew.' 

Youkai Goddess : Yay! New chappie! ^_^ That was a scary thought, Kurama looking like a wife. *shudder* Must get that thought of my head. Anyway, Hiei and Yuki's conversation was interesting. I wonder how they will react when they play Truth or Dare.  
Well, update soon! ^_^

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AN: *smiles* Kurama…wife…odd but funny! I hope you liked it!

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Ch. 10

Sango=ss : WRITE! NEXT! CHAPTER! Or suffer the consequences such as hit with Yusuke's spirit gun, slashed with Kuwabara's and Hiei's swords, Killed by Koenma, hit with a baseball bat by botan, slashed with Kurama's Rose Whip, frozen by the combined powers of Yuki, Touya and Yukina, slapped by Keiko and generally decimated by Jin's tornado fists and Chu's normal fists. ^_^

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AN: CHILL! *hides* MEW! CALM DOWN! I did!

Celestialgrl126 : Ah! *running around room screaming* Why did u have 2 end w/ a cliffhanger, Why! I'm going insane over hear! ok deep breath...*regains composure* (not that i ever had 1 in the first place) *Smiles w/ honey coated innocence* if u dont update soon i will b forced 2 send a picture of the ring and find out ur phone# 2 tell u 7 more days... So update already, OR ELSE! Mohahahaha. Ja

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AN: Cliffys are fun! Don't worry, I'm already insane. If you don't believe me, ask my friends ^_^;; Um…k? innocence is something I don't have…

Invisible : kage1586, i loved your story "When Fire and Ice Collide"...it is such a great story!!...you must write more of this story, i really want to know what happens!...i will not threaten you like some of my reviewers have...i just wish and pray that you will write more of your story Sincerely, Invisible_the_sleepy_one

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AN: Aws, thanks Invisible…yes, as you may have read up there…people have threatened me as well…

Saelbu : NO! Not a cliffhanger! Oh well great chapter and update soon. ^_^

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AN: Aws! Poor you! But hey, I did update!

Youkai Goddess : The beginning was funny. ^_^ Truth or dare lol And its so sweet that Hiei saved all those tears for her. AWW, so sweet. GO HIEI! KILL THAT DUMB BIG DRAGON thingy or whatever it is. Please update soon! ^_^ Luv ur story!

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AN: *smiles* thanks a lot for the support girl! Yes…I had to make him make a necklace…it was gnawing at my brain…I don't have one…well it was gnawing at my finger!

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Ch. 11

Kay-san1 : haha! sorry i didn't read this sooner kage, but i've been so busy. what with my b-day coming up, my friend gonna move back to japan, school, and all, it's been hecktic! ah well. Anywho, GREAT JOB! this was tons of fun to read. i loved it.

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AN: It's okay, Kay-san…HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Tell your friend hi for me. Burn the school…yea

Sango=ss : O romantic! I actually loved this chapter! Keep this story up or die! The Hiei in this story is nice and soft I'm falling in love with him! And absolutely love the end pummeling part! It definitely is a unique and perfect ending! Oh no, the new Hiei is rubbing off on me! Save me Touya my ice pri- *Touya sweeps me into his arms and caries me into the sun set* You needed more me in this story *he yells back to mean authoress*

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AN: Sango, thanks! Don't fall in love with Hiei…that's my job *smiles*…Yes, I had to put more humor at the end especially for you. *smiles more* Don't let him rub on you, he does that for Yuki only ^_^;; Sorry Touya but I have to watch more of you to grasp your personality better.

Kayla : AW! That was so cute. I LOVED THIS STORY! One of the best stories i ever read. :)

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AN: Thanks Kayla, that really makes me feel better.

Saelbu : YAY! That was great!! ^_^

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AN: Saelbu…calm down lol, thanks!

Youkai Goddess : AH! THAT WAS THE BEST CHAPTER! They finally admitted to each other! *jumps up and down* THAT WAS SO COOL! Botan jumping out of the bushes and yelling like that. lol Great work! I luv this story so much! ^_^

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AN: Botan is just that way so I had to do that, no? thank you so much Youkai Goddess.

blue-eyed-demon : HEY! I love ths fic, I mean dude you've got talent that's for sure, anyways You have to do a sequel! ~ Blue~

AN: thanks blue-eyed-demon…I may just do a sequel…I wonder *thinks* perhaps!

sailor-z-360: i am laughing so hard at that ending. write more. add on to the story DON'T MAKE THIS THE END WAH! sorry this is the first fanfic in my favorets list. 

AN: *smiles* I'm glad that you liked the ending so much and I'm honored that I'm on your fave list…truly! It's so wonderful ^_^;;;; Anywho! As I said, I MIGHT make a sequel…and then again, I may just keep up with inventing new stories, yes? *smiles more* I like making new stories!

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~*~ Alright, I know that Vash was not a reviewer on the actual site but he has encouraged me *mutters under breath* ordered me *cough* to write more of the story all the time. Thanks ^_^;; I just had to include him in on the little thanking page~*~

Until next time my dear reviewers, this is Youkai Kage signing out! 

~*~ A few words are nothing unless used with meaning.~*~ 

*sniffs* ain't that the truth? *goes and sulks*


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